I'll Wait for You
by katarauchiha653719
Summary: I never thought I'd be stuck in a situation like this; all I wanted was a normal life and to live happily ever after, but unfortunately that never happened…But maybe despite all my hardships, I'll find that happy ending. -Tsutano Hikari
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Well, this is a story that I just wanted to try out to see if people actually like it; and if I get enough responses, I will decide to continue it. It's something different seeing that I usually write stories dealing with Itachi and an oc, so it's new to me to deal with a different story pairing. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this first chapter!**

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Chapter One: The Beginning

Sometimes it's hard to face life; all you want is for all the pain and suffering to go away and while you pray and pray for things to go right, you never get your way. When all the pain continues to take over, you feel lifeless; as though everything you've gained in your life is forgotten and when you try to ignore the pain, it only gets worse. But maybe that pain was meant to be; maybe it was a warning or a fortunate event that could change your life. Maybe that was what my own fate was trying to tell me, but despite everything I've been through, maybe all that pain was worth it.

I wasn't always the type of person who would willingly submit to someone; it just so turns out that as the daughter of the Daimyo of the small village of Kuroshio, just outside Takigakure, I was expected to follow orders. I don't know what was wrong with me, I just wasn't someone who would stand up for myself, or believe in my own worth. I always depended on other people to be the basis of my life and I would always continue on as if it was a regular routine.

Coming from the Tsutano family, my father, Lord Izanagi, was our village leader and despite the small population we had, people looked to him for guidance. He is a great leader; someone who is always busy, but I was used to that. His green orbs would always reflect his own exhaustion from overworking, but he never let that bother him. I always told him he'd overwork himself to death, but despite those short moments I shared with him, I learned something: if you have loving people surrounding you, then that's all you need to survive; as long as you are together, nothing is strong enough to break that bond.

That's what he always told me and throughout my childhood, even now, I still believe that. I believe that I'll one day meet my prince charming and have a happy ending, just like my mother, Tsutano Takara. My mother is beautiful with long flowing jet black hair with violet orbs to match. Unfortunately, I didn't pick up those traits; I somehow ended up with unruly snow white hair with my father's green eyes to match. So I guess you could call me the black sheep of my family, or the white one, literally. My mother met my father at one of his dinner parties, and I guess it was love at first sight; they were lucky.

My grandmother, Tsutano Manami, has taught me several lessons as well; despite the fact at how she keeps insisting that's its unhealthy to not have a boyfriend or my first kiss at the age of 19, she's kind. She somehow sees the future; don't ask me how, but she told me it was an old genetic technique that skips each generation; supposedly, I'm supposed to gain this skill, but I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary yet.

Now, my brother, Tsutano Akio, is the total opposite of me. As a well-established Anbu captain, he's one of the strongest shinobi in our town despite how small our town is, we still have some shinobi. He, I guess you could say, is a 'ladies man;' it's not that he acts like a playboy or anything, it is just that he has his own fan club. With his bright violet orbs and jet black hair he adopted from my mother, anyone could see he was good-looking. But despite how my brother gets so much attention, he never asks for it; he is modest and I know that one day he'll make a great Daimyo.

As for me, I stick out like a sore thumb in my family; I haven't made that many accomplishments. I'm just an ordinary civilian that barely even knows how to take care of myself. You would think as a full adult I would be able to at least choose my own clothes to wear, but you're wrong. Every day is laid out for me like a schedule: get up, get dressed in a fancy kimono, eat breakfast, then off to classes to learn about more manners, tea with my grandmother and mother, sometimes I get to visit my father, and I usually end with having some alone time for me to head off to our library. I always enjoy being alone; it's as though I can think for my own and make my own decisions. I don't mind my life, but sometimes, I wonder what my life would be like if I got the chance to choose what I want to do with it.

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It was just another day, but somehow this day felt different; I woke up just like any other day and took a shower. Upon coming out, I saw that a kimono for the day was lying on my bed; it was a new one, one that I never saw before and strangely enough I should've known something was wrong there, but I chose to ignore it.

The kimono was an intricate piece and as I slowly dressed myself in it, I saw that the dark blue colors and the silver obi deeply contrasted with my green orbs, making them pop out more. The design was simple with just cherry blossoms and cranes, but I couldn't believe how it fit me perfectly. It was made out of pure silk, something that we couldn't afford because of the small income my father made compared to other Daimyos of other powerful villages. But oddly enough, that thought passed through my mind and I ignored it; it was the first time I felt pretty. I saw my reflection in my vanity mirror and as I saw the white-haired green-eyed girl look back at me, I slowly touched my own reflection in the mirror. I wasn't one who had the highest self-esteem considering that I was out of the ordinary.

Within moments, I was broken out of my daze as a voice interrupted with, "Hikari, I see you've taken a liking to your new kimono." My mother said as she approached from behind and brushed back a strand of my white hair into place.

"Hai." I replied as I saw how different my mother and I looked. We looked as though we were complete opposites with her black hair and my white snow-capped head.

"You look beautiful, Hikari." My mother stated as she carefully put my hair into a perfect bun and kissed my head. Looking at my green eyes, my mother's gaze softened as she cupped my face and smiled. "Any man would be lucky to have you; now come on, you have to eat breakfast and then your father wants to see you."

"Father? I thought he was to busy to see me today. What does he want?" I responded back as I turned towards her and saw that she was standing in the doorway. Looking fondly back me, I felt as though something was wrong. It was the same look she always gave me as a child when she worried about my own well-being, and as I raised my eyebrow at her antics again, I decided to not push the issue any further as I got up from my seat and followed closely behind her.

As we both made our way through the hallways of our home, I quickly sat down at my place across the table from my grandmother. It was a quiet meal and as I picked at my own food, I couldn't help but wonder what my father would want with me this early in the day. He's usually always busy, even at the late hours of the night, and to see him this early in the morning was strange.

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After finishing my meal, I was quick to bow to my grandmother and mother before excusing myself from the table. Once upon my feet, I made my way through the hallways once again, took several turns left and right before arriving at my father's own study. He usually liked staying in here for peace and quiet.

As I softly knocked on the door, I waited patiently until I heard an 'enter' pass through. I slowly turned the doorknob and as I entered into the room, I saw that my father was still working with heavy stacks of paperwork that were on his desk

His green orbs met my identical ones and as I took a seat across from him, I gracefully placed my hands on my lap, sat up straight, and waited for my father to finish signing off some papers.

His right hand abruptly stopped writing and as he put his pen down, he looked at me with seriousness written on his face. I didn't want to show any fear, but at the moment, I was scared of hearing what my father had to tell me. It felt as though I was in the principal's office at school and I was the kid that just got in trouble, but as I pushed these thoughts out of my mind, I gave my father my full attention and nodded at him to begin.

"Hikari…are you well aware of the fact that our town needs to start making more alliances if we are to flourish, especially in these times in our own economic needs?" my father asked as he looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"Yes; I know that." I simply replied.

"Good; well I wanted you to know that we are planning to make an alliance with the Hidden Mist Village. They've given us a chance to make an alliance with them and seeing that they are flourishing right now and given that they are also known as a powerful country, we need their assistance." Explained my father.

"I understand that, father, but why did you need to tell me all of this?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow at him, showing my own confusion.

As I watched my father let out a huge sigh, I saw him slowly lean back in his chair before he stated, "Hikari, this alliance is only permitable if you marry the Mizukage's son."

It was as if I heard these words in slow motion and as I widened my eyes at my father's news, it was as though my whole world stopped. As a child, I always had dreams of finding my own prince charming, and right now, I felt as though someone had stabbed me over and over again. It was as though I couldn't breathe, but as I slowly composed myself, I came back to reality just in time to listen to my father's words.

"A couple weeks ago, I showed a picture of you to the Mizukage and later on he showed it to his son; it seems as though his son has taken a huge liking to you, Hikari. I know that I am asking too much from you, but on behalf of this small town, it's the only choice I've got. If we don't start making alliances, then our village will slowly crumble."

He was asking too much from me and I felt a bit angry at how my father could ever ask me to do something like this. He, more than anyone, knew how much I wanted to feel like what it felt like to fall in love, and here he was, taking that opportunity away from me. I didn't know what to say at that moment, and as I stayed frozen in place, I felt my father shake me from my daze.

"Hikari, I'm sorry. I tried to make another deal with them, but he is quite stubborn." He said.

Looking back at my father, I saw how this decision was tearing him apart and I felt guilty at being mad at my father; he was only doing his job by trying to do the best thing for our small town, and I should be doing that

As I slowly held back my tears, I turned towards him and said, "It's all right, father. I'll do it; it's the least I could do for this village and on behalf of you."

"Are you sure?" he asked as he looked at me with his concerning, green orbs.

Once again, there was a short pause before I answered because I had such a harsh internal conflict within myself; I had to ignore my other emotions and as I turned towards my father, I replied back with, "Hai."

"Then, there's nothing else I can say, Hikari. The Mizukage and his son will be visiting us within a week. You are dismissed."

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Nodding and quickly getting up from my seat, I rushed through the doorway and made it to my bedroom before allowing my tears to fall to the ground. As I abruptly shut my door, I leaned my back onto the wooden door and slowly collapsed onto the ground bawling.

I cried for so long that I was sure I had run out of tears. And as I tried to tell my body to sit up, I continued to lay on the ground floor reflecting back on what had just happened a few hours ago.

How could I even say no to my father's request? I knew he was asking too much of me, but something inside me told me to except the offer. At the state our small town was in, we needed all the alliances necessary to stop rogue nin or more powerful villages from taking over and at that point, I knew I had sealed my fate. I was destined to marry some stranger. But in these types of situations, I always tried to look to the bright side and as I still lay on the ground, the only thought that flashed through my mind was the hope of falling in love with that stranger.

Love; it's a raw emotion that holds so much power. It was the only hope I had at finding my happy ending, and now that it was gone, I felt so much pain. And maybe all that pain or heartbreak you face in life only makes you stronger; maybe it's that pain that causes you to feel numb inside until it goes away; at least that's what I tried thinking until sleep overtook me.

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**Please review so I know that people are reading my stories. Like I said in the beginning, I don't know if I'll continue this story unless I know people are interested in it. **


	2. Chapter 2: The Meeting

**Thanks for your reviews! It means a lot to me and just so you know, I accept anonymous reviews as well. **

**For this chapter, you get to see more of the type of person Hikari is rather than what you would usually see on the surface, so I hope you enjoy!**

**I'd like to thank xxlottexx, xImperfectAngelx, DidiTwitches, Aiko, Starrynight91331, and ThE sLeEpInG DrEaMeR; thank you everyone for eoncouraging me to continue this story, so I hope you enjoy the new chapter! **

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Chapter 2: The Meeting

Choices; they drive our everyday lives and whether they are ones that are too little to make an impact on us or they're ones that are so influential, we make them everyday. It's the choices that we make in life that lead us to where we want to get in life; sometimes we look deep down inside and try to understand what our heart truly wants. It's that small tug on your heart that causes you to make the decision that you make, and maybe, just maybe, my heart would lead me towards the right direction.

The week passed by quickly; too quickly for my own liking and as I stood before our front entrance, I was nervous to meet the Mizukage's son. I had been dressed in my finest kimono decorated with silver hummingbirds and as I stood before the door, waiting beside my father, mother, and brother, to welcome them, I tried to keep my composure. It was hard for me because I was the one that was going to be in the spotlight; meeting a mere stranger and knowing that that person would be your husband is a scary feeling. I was always afraid of strangers as a child, and as I tried to not to have a panic attack, I almost forgot how to breath. Tightening both my fists, my firm grip almost made them turn white and as I saw our doors open, I prepared myself for what was to come.

Taking another deep breath, I quickly bowed as I saw the Mizukage, his son, and some guards enter into our home. Well, this was it I suppose, and as I turned my gaze towards our new guests and took a deep breath, my green orbs meet up with four men. Two of the men were dressed as guards and as I saw another older man dressed up in kage robes, I knew that he was the Mizukage. Turning my gaze towards the younger man standing beside him, I saw that he closely resembled his father. Both had the same jet black hair and while the Mizukage had pale grey eyes, his son's was an iridescent blue color that I became lost in, so lost in that I almost forgot to bow.

As I was broken out of my daze by a mere soft cough from my brother, I rapidly bowed to both men and remained in my place as I took my time to gaze at my soon to be husband. He was wearing standard ninja wear with some navy-colored armor over, and upon closer inspection, I noticed he was calm in his stature as he stood before us with his hands behind his back, but I could tell that just merely by his demeanor, he held an air of pride; he seemed different from the men of this village and as I took another look at him, just by his gaze and presence, I could tell that he was a man of authority and power along with being a great catch; his appearance probably got him several women that would wish they were in my situation and as I saw him tune out of the conversation between my father and the Mizukage, I decided to do so as well.

As I paid no attention to the conversation, I decided to study him even more; it wasn't everyday that our village gets visited by foreign shinobi and as I took in the interesting symbol he held on his headband, I also noticed his other features as well. He was well built and taller than most men and as he held a soft smile on his face, my green orbs met with his smoldering blue eyes, and I couldn't help but blush and slightly avert my gaze from his.

I'm sure my brother saw this and as I saw him smirk from the corner of my eye, I was about to turn to him and give me a piece of my mind before I realized that my father and the Mizukage had just finished talking.

As I felt everyone's eyes on me, I silently gulped and watched as my father introduced myself to the Mizukage's son. As I watched him step forward and bow before me, I slowly approached him and bowed in return. I saw him quickly reach for my hand and as I hesitantly gave him my hand, he took it in his own and softly kissed it.

I tried my best not to blush at his kind gesture and as I retracted my hand from his touch, I was frozen in my place as I watched him carefully as he introduced himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Hikari. I'm Hamasaki Makoto, the Mizukage's son, and a Jounin of the Hidden Mist Village." The black haired shinobi said as his gaze met mine.

Nodding at his introduction, I was quick to also introduce myself as I curtsied and stood before him as I replied back with, "It's also a pleasure to meet you as well; I'm sure you already know who I am, but I'm Tsutano Hikari, daughter of Lord Izanagi." I had said as I gave the stranger a kind smile.

He returned my smile with his own and as we both now stood before each other in silence, the moment was slowly broken as my father and the Mizukage approached us.

"Hikari, I'm sure you both would like to get to know each other better? Why not show him around while the Mizukage and I discuss some things together?"

"Hai, otou-san." I replied as I turned towards the Mist nin and signaled for him to follow me.

As I felt him closely follow me from behind as we both left the room, I was surprised to see him catch up to me, and as I almost shrieked from the shock of him appearing beside me, my heart slowed down to it's normal pace as I reminded myself of his shinobi status.

Looking at him with widened green eyes, I saw him smirk at my own shock and as I regained my composure, I saw him from the corner of my eye continue to walk beside me as we continued our way throughout my home.

Well this was going to be a long walk and as I tried to not show any displeasure in showing him around, I was abruptly stopped as Makoto stepped in front of me. Silently glaring at him and raising my eyebrow in confusion, I waited for him to explain himself to me.

"You aren't that talkative are you?" he asked as he looked down at me.

Seeing that I was about 6 inches shorter than him, he seemed to tower over me and as I looked up at him, I replied back with, "Actually, it's quite the opposite."

As I said this, I pushed past him and as I felt him follow beside me again, I tried to ignore his presence. I noticed that he took my behavior in and left me alone as we both continued to walk throughout the area and kept quiet throughout the whole trip.

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After showing him around my home, we both reached the backyard and I saw him slowly become mesmerized by the small pond located near the left side. The pond was a decent size and I usually went there to think because it was peaceful and it was situated under a cherry blossom tree, which were one of my favorite kinds of flowers.

I watched him as he gracefully made his way over there without causing a sound, and as I tried my best not to cause too much noise either, I realized that I had clearly failed when I saw him turn around and smile back at me as I almost tripped over a grey stone. I felt a bit foolish when I tried walking like him, but as I stood back and watched him admire the koi pond, I somehow felt at peace with him here.

Something about him caught my attention and whether if it was his good looks or just his calm demeanor, I couldn't help but try to get along with him. Usually, I try to keep my distance from new visitors, but he was different from most people; he didn't try to grab my attention like most people nor did he try to impress me in any way. Maybe I was finding myself being secretly impressed by him trying to not impress me, but whatever it was, I was driven to find out more about him.

I saw him sit down on a bench near the pond and as I boldly decided to sit next to him, we both looked out towards the pond in silence.

My green orbs continued to skim the surface of the water and as I watched a fish's scales reflect off from the moon, I decided to break the uncomfortable silence. As I bit my bottom lip in nervousness, I quickly sighed in defeat and I said, "I usually come here to clear my head; it's nice out here with the cherry blossom tree and the koi. I guess you could call it a safe haven."

As he nodded in response, I saw him slowly turn to me and I saw some small glint in his eyes and as he smiled at me again, I quickly realized that he had planned this, this whole time. "You did this to get me talking didn't you?" I stated as I already knew his answer.

Seeing him giving me a smirk, he replied back with, "Perhaps, but it's nice to see someone start a conversation; it helps me see what kind of person you are."

Raising my eyebrow at him again, I was a bit hesitant to ask my next question and as the black-haired nin noticed this, he was quick to interrupt; "Go on, you're probably wondering what my first impression of you was." He said as he ended with a smirk.

If only I could wipe that smirk off his face because truth be told, it was becoming slightly annoying, but I supposed every male had his own trademark smirk to show his own pride. Quickly sighing in defeat, I nodded my head and waited for his response, and for some reason, I was drawn into his words as I waited impatiently to hear what he thought of me.

"When I first saw that picture of you, I was blown away by your smile, rather than your looks, but now that I'm meeting you face to face, it's quite refreshing to find that you're not the shallow girl that I thought you would be. You seem genuine enough and although you do bit you bottom lip when you're nervous, you don't have to be nervous around me; I won't hurt you."

"I'm like an open book, aren't I?" I questioned him as I saw him nod at my response and turn his attention back to the pond.

As I quietly thought over his words, I couldn't help but feel saddened at my own show of my emotions; looking back at him, I could see he had good control of his feelings and as he now portrayed a stoic expression on his face, I was shocked to hear the next few words come out of his mouth.

"But despite you being an open-book to me, you're interesting; you're different from most people, that much I can tell, and perhaps, that's what I need. Someone who's different and beautiful, like you."

I blushed at his compliment and as I was glad that it was too dark for him to see the red on my cheeks, I replied back with, "Arigatou; I guess I should tell you my first impression of you."

It seemed like I had caught his attention with my statement and as he turned towards me and held his blue-eyed gaze on me, I paused a moment before bravely continuing; "You seem like the type of man who holds a lot of pride and power over others; you seem like someone who's strong and maybe difficult to get along with, but you're different from most men over here. It doesn't seem like you would treat me as a material possession and that's all I could ask for. I can't tell you how many people who have visited here have tried to treat me that way, and to tell you the truth, I'm sick of it. I don't expect you to treat me like dirt, but not like some sort of trophy either. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and the aura you hold around you is commanding and towering; the enemies you face must cower before you, I assume."

Slowly nodding, Makoto didn't say anything for awhile, until I heard him slightly chuckle; it was as if he was mocking me and as I continued to look at him as if he had just gone crazy and grown a second head, he responded with, "You're quite accurate with your impression of me, but I think you've just skimmed the surface."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"That's the façade I show as a shinobi and if you are going to become my wife soon, you should know more about me than just by my appearance." Explained the Mist nin as he continued to have his gaze on me.

Nodding at his response, I replied back with, "Then tell me about yourself like your likes, dislikes, dreams, and hobbies."

He paused for a moment, as if shocked I would ask something like that, and as I was about to take my question back, I saw him return back to his calm composure. For some reason I couldn't look away from him and it was as if I was mesmerized by him and as we continued to sit there in peace, I was calm in his presence and felt more comfortable than I ever felt in awhile.

"I'm the type of person that's calm and collected, who likes to train and do what I can for my village; I don't really enjoy eating sweets and I prefer more bitter tasting foods. In my spare time I usually enjoy spending it in quiet places like this and my biggest dream is to become the next Mizukage and to carry on the work of my father."

As I listened carefully to everything he said, I noticed how passionately he talked about his village and the status of Mizukage and as I became more entranced by his words, I found that he was an interesting person to talk to.

"And yourself?" he asked as he waited for an answer.

I was still in my daze when he asked me this and as I quickly broke out of it and blushed as I saw him smirk, I nodded slowly and continued with, "I like lots of things, like this world, my family, and my village; I enjoy reading in my spare time or spending my time here or painting and I dislike how overprotective my brother is and how stressed out my father becomes from his job. I love eating dango and I'm not a fan of bitter things and I dislike the color of my hair."

As I finished, I waited for his response and as I waited for his approval, I chewed nervously on my bottom lip; his face looked as though he was deep in thought, but as he still continued to look at me, I became frozen in place as I saw him slowly touch my cheek with his hand.

I surely wasn't expecting him to get this close and as I almost cursed myself for letting my guard down, I quickly shut my green eyes as I felt his touch. I was lowly drawing back from him, and as I slowly tried to open one eye, I was cautiously watching him to see what his next step would be. I saw him press his thumb against my cheek and as I blushed from the contact, I opened both my eyes and realized that his face had come closer as well.

Still frozen in my place, I widened both my eyes in shock, but quickly calmed down as I saw him slowly put a strand of my white hair back in its place. I felt him closely examine me and as I took this time to observe him too, I saw that he had a strong jaw line and a great bone structure.

As I came out of my daze, I realized my heartbeat was becoming erratic and as I returned back to my normal pulse, I waited for him to pull his hand away from my face. I still felt slightly uncomfortable under his gaze; his blue eyes were staring directly at me, as if they were staring right into my soul, and as I became lost in them once again, he slowly backed away and gave me one of his genuine smiles.

As he smiled at me, I could tell that it was real, and as I noticed his own smile, I thought it fit him perfectly; it only further enhanced his eyes and as I silently thought in my head that he had one of the nicest smiles I've ever seen, I quickly heard him chuckle.

Looking at him once again as though he was the crazy one, I realized that I had said my thought aloud and as I quickly covered my mouth with my hands, I was quick to turn away before he could see me blush from embarrassment.

I tried hiding my own embarrassment and although I miserably failed, I felt him turn my head towards him and as that only caused me to only blush a darker reddish color, he only smiled at me and tried to calm me down.

"No need to feel ashamed; thank you for that, and you shouldn't feel ashamed of your hair, it's beautiful, just like the snow." Makoto said as he looked at me and quickly turned away.

Seeing that he was genuinely saying this, I tried to turn and see that he was hiding his very own blush from me and as I saw the small hint of pink of his cheeks, it meant a lot to me for him to say something like that. While growing up here, I always felt like an oddball because of my hair, and to hear someone else besides my family compliment me on it was startling, yet amazing at the same time.

As I still felt his hand touching my cheek, I slowly took his hand away from my face with my own, and held onto him. I couldn't help but smile at his compliment and as I saw him widen his eyes at my bold gesture, I whispered a quiet thank you as we both spent that moment in silence.

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I had spent the whole day with him, and as the day quickly ended, I wished it lasted longer. Despite barely even knowing him, I felt as though I've known him my whole life and as I stood there at the exit watching him leave, I couldn't help but wait to see him again. I saw him slightly smile and wave back to me, and as I gave him my own smile and wave in return, something about him caused my heart to skip a beat.

I think the thing I liked the most about him was the way he talked to me; he didn't judge me like most people and he somehow seemed to understand me. Truth be told, I never opened up to people that much, and to think that I've only known him for a few short hours, it was amazing to find someone like him. He listened carefully to what I had to say and it meant a lot to me, especially since I was just a small voice lost in a large town. He saw me underneath my family name and as I saw his form slowly disappear from the dark horizon, I hoped our relationship would grow even further.

Maybe I was making the right choice when I saw the real him; someone who stood out from the pack and was kind enough to not judge a book by its cover. Life's always about the choices we make, and at that moment, having someone like him as a husband didn't seem too bad and I didn't know how far this would lead me, but I had a feeling it would lead to my happy ending.

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**Please review and tell me what you think of it; like I said before, they help me become a better writer and encourage me to update and to continue. **

**-Katara**


	3. Chapter 3: Misinterpretations

**Sorry for the late delay in updating, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. Now before continuing to read, I'd like to thank Alice Mori, XxImperfectAngelxX, Johnnygirl777, Aiko, and Starrynight91331 for reviewing the last chapter. Thanks so much for your encouragement! I'd also like to thank Alice Mori, DidiTwitches, Johnnygirl777, and ThE sLeEpInG DrEaMeR for putting this story in their favorites list along with xImperfectAngelx, KotoriH, Ivy Moonlit Rose, and DidiTwitches for putting this story on your story alert lists. Thank you everyone and I'm glad that you all like the story so far. **

**Disclaimer: I own no Naruto characters, but I do own my oc's. **

**Now without anymore delays, let the story begin!**

**Imouto= little sister**

**Aniki= big brother **

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**Chapter 3: Misinterpretations**

Sometimes life moves too quickly for your liking and all you want to do is to step back and slowly let everything sink in and prepare yourself before you completely dive into that pool. When you feel the water fully hit you, you'll realize how deep you've gotten and unless you want to drown, you've got to learn how to swim because you need to wake up to the world in front of you.

You'll always have to move forward in life because you can't live in the past; you can't relive it either, but that's what makes life, well you know, life. It's unfair, it's cruel, it's unfortunate, but through those harsh times, you'll find bits and pieces of your happiness. And once you put all those pieces together, you'll realize that the pain, the suffering, and the hard work, were all worth it.

But you don't want to live life with regrets; you want to live life to the fullest because it doesn't matter if you sink or swim, as long as you manage to float along the river that life takes you on. And I think I was headed in the right direction; sure life has its rapids and falls, but in the end, it doesn't matter where it takes you, it just matters what your experiences were like along the way. It's the journey that makes everything worthwhile, and when life takes you through that journey, it makes everything inside you question yourself. But whether you know who you are or where you're going, you'll find out in the end.

Sometimes you don't need someone to guide you, you just need to believe in yourself and listen closely to those warning signs around you. If you don't believe in yourself, then who will? You're not fully alone in this world, but it sometimes feels like it; it feels like you're the only one looking out for yourself. When you fall and break down into tears and feel like no one around you cares, one person can be enough to change you; once you find that person that willingly gives you their hand to pick you up and fix the broken pieces, they give you strength. Strength to carry on, strength to survive, and strength to fight back and in the end, you'll need that strength.

But once you open your eyes, you realize that other people want to protect you as well and maybe sometimes, it's all right to let go and let them. It's easy to hold onto things, but much harder to let go and when you do, that's when you find strength: strength through love and protection. It's that type of strength that continues to thrive and build inside you. And despite how others tell you that love's a weakness, I find it to be my strength because no matter what the circumstance, it's all you can hope for and want in the world.

Only you can tell yourself what could happen or would happen, but in the end, you're not all you've got; you've got other people standing beside you until the end.

Life begins with those small steps which later show you how far you've gotten; but it's not the distance that matters, it's the people you meet, the new friendships you've made, and most importantly, all the love you've found.

* * *

_Dear Hikari, _

_I've missed you dearly and after speaking to you just a few days earlier, I've come to miss your presence. I'll be sure to keep in touch with you. _

_Sincerely, _

_Makoto. _

_

* * *

_

_Dear Makoto-kun, _

_I've missed you too and I'm glad we're starting these letters; it's nice to be able to talk to someone who completely understands me. I'm glad I found someone like you. _

_My life right now is pretty boring; I've been doing the same thing like always since the day you left and right now, I'm at the pond, just thinking over some things. I just wonder what it's like outside my village; what's it like in your home? _

_Sincerely, _

_Hikari _

_

* * *

_

_Dear Hikari, _

_I wish you could see the Hidden Mist Village, it's busier than ever at this moment and I can't wait until you come to visit soon. It's a huge city with several people and during the day, you'll be able to see several people working their hardest. Of course the city is covered in large amounts of mist, but you get used to it. _

_At the moment, I'm on a mission and I'll keep myself safe for your sake. Don't worry about me. _

_Sincerely, _

_Makoto _

As I read Makoto's latest letter, I couldn't believe that it had been just a week since I last saw him; throughout the week, we've become pretty close and as we continued to keep in touch through our letters, I felt that I was getting to know him better everyday. And although he wasn't here right beside me, I still felt his presence around me with every letter I received.

As I finished reading his letter for the hundredth time, I was silently sitting on our front porch and as I felt the nice breeze blow some of my hair in my face, I giggled a little as I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. Call me a lovesick girl, but I couldn't help myself; I thought I actually found that inner peace and happiness that everyone wishes to find in their lives, and as I sat there, holding his letter in my hand, I was lost in a daze.

Now looking back at it, I was glad I got the chance to meet him and maybe my situation would turn out for the better. The letter that I was holding in my hands was only further proof that we could and would last until the end of time and I didn't need anymore assurance that I'd be happy with him; it just felt right.

I guess this was what it felt like to be in love; I wasn't sure of what this feeling was, but it was refreshing. It was something that caused me to feel butterflies in my stomach, and that tingling feeling I felt was amazing. Love's a strange emotion; it branches out into different types of love: Love for your father, love for mother, love your brother, and eventually when you find the one, love for your lover. It's interesting to see how much care and love one person can give to another, and through a simple chain of events, you'll realize that love's all you'll ever need.

As I quickly broke out from my own day dream, I slowly watched the letter slip out of my grasp; swiftly turning around, I saw my brother give me his famous smirk as he held the piece of paper above his head. I could see his purple eyes glint with the same look of mischief he'd always give me as a kid when he was about to cause trouble, and as my intuition told me to leave him alone, I slowly played into his little game.

My brother usually always teased me, but in the end, I always knew he cared and as I quickly got up from my seat and attempted to jump up to reach the letter hovering over his head, I knew he was chuckling on the inside as he watched me. Although I knew I was a good 8 or so inches shorter than him, that still didn't stop me from trying to get my letter back. I'm sure my brother had my best interests at heart and even though he always proved to be my protective older brother, I just couldn't help but be annoyed at his joking attitude about the situation. It's not everyday I got a letter from someone I cared about and as I attempted one more time to reach for the letter, my forehead accidently slammed into my brother's chest along with the rest of my body.

As I felt severe heat rush to my face, I realized that I was now crushed against my brother's chest as my right arm tried to reach for the note and as I felt my brother wrap his arm around my waist to stop me from struggling in his grip, I refused to back down as I watched him slowly scan over the letter. I heard him chuckling and that only further fueled my fire and as I continued to move about, I was about an inch away from grabbing it back, until I saw him quickly move his arm higher and purposely put the letter out of my reach.

Sighing at his antics, I let my arm return to my side and stopped my attempts, as I was breathing heavily from all the jumping I had done, I crossed my arms before my chest and relaxed. Raising a white eyebrow at him and glaring at him with my green orbs, Akio was quick to let me go and as he scratched the back of his black-haired head, he slowly took his time to give me back the letter.

"Looks like someone has an admirer, imouto." he said as he continued to smile down at me and as he tried to show that he was innocent and just playing the older protective brother role, I rolled my eyes at him as he continued to pet me on the head.

I was slowly becoming annoyed by Akio and as I quickly snatched the letter from his grasp, I was quick to glare at him. "Aniki, do you really have to be involved in everyone's business?" I asked as I tapped my foot on the floor, impatiently waiting for an answer.

Looking back at him, I saw him give me a sympathetic look as an apology and as his eyes softened, mine did as well. As he knelt down to my eye level, he gave me a small smile before saying, "Not everyone's, just yours; I am your brother after all."

Returning the smile, I gave him one of my own, and as I was quick to give him a hug, I knew that I clearly missed him despite how at times he'd annoyed me to no end, but he was right, he'd always be my big brother no matter what. And after being gone for a week because of a mission, I definitely missed him more than ever.

Breaking away from the embrace, Akio was chuckling at me and as I felt him ruffle my hair like old times, I was about to yell at him for his childish antics until I saw his expression turn stern. As his purple orbs avoided mine, my own curiosity caused me to turn around to see what he was staring at.

Turning my green-eyed gaze towards the north, I saw two strange figures slowly approaching our home. From what I could see, they were both covered in black cloaks with strange red clouds on them along with straw hats on their heads as well, and as I saw that they were covered from head to toe, I quickly felt that something was amiss.

As I continued to stare at the figures, I was sure I caught sight of one as my gaze met the stranger's one blue eye; our eyes locked instantly and as I felt the intense gaze fall upon me, I quickly looked away and turned back to look up at my brother.

I watched him as he stepped forward and as he was about to approach the two strangers, I rapidly pulled him back.

Looking back at him, I pleaded with him and urgently wanted some answers; as he patted my arm in reassurance, he looked at me with his trustworthy eyes and I nodded at him.

"Hikari, these men are just here to meet up with father; you should go inside, it's beginning to get dark and you might catch a cold." Akio stated as he looked at me with concern written in his eyes.

Even though I didn't want to go inside, I quickly nodded in response and rushed indoors. As I felt the cold breeze of the night disappear as I entered the household and quickly headed into my room, I knew something was wrong here; I knew my brother had no intention of worrying about my health, especially in the middle of summer, and as I walked around my room contemplating what was going on, I quickly heard some noises just outside the window of my room.

Taking a peek out of my window, I saw my brother along with the two mysterious strangers head towards my father's office and as I watched in anticipation, I quickly bit my bottom lip as my hands tightened into fists. Something about those men made me nervous and as I tried to calm myself down by sitting down on my queen-sized bed and trying to meditate, that eerie feeling didn't go away.

* * *

It had been over an hour since dinner had started and as I tried to hide my nervousness, I was actually doing well even though the thought of the two men caused my fingers to shake as I tried to pick up some fish with my chopsticks. I was eating my rice and fish calmly and as I tried to wipe the fear away from my eyes, I tried to think of happier thoughts and ignore the fact that two cloaked men were in my home.

The dinner table was quiet and as I looked around and only saw my mother and my grandmother sitting near me, silently eating, I was able to relax. Still I couldn't help but try to avoid the empty seats at our dinner table and as I wished my brother and my father would hurry up with their meeting to join us for dinner, I grabbed another piece of fish to calm my nerves.

In most instances when I'm nervous, I either chew on my bottom lip, or most people don't know it, but try to calm myself down with food and at the moment, this piece of fish was helping. I was eating the piece ravenously and as I ate my rice fast as well, I felt two pairs of eyes on me.

Peeking up from my rice bowl, I saw my mother and grandmother look at me with concern on their faces and as I tried to give them a gentle smile, it didn't really look like one seeing that my mouth was full of food, so it looked more like a cheeky grin.

Stopping myself from stuffing my mouth with even more food, I placed my bowl and chopsticks down as I was slowly chewing my food and waiting for them to say something.

"Hikari, are you all right?" questioned my mother as she quickly approached me and put the back of her hand onto my forehead.

As she was checking my temperature, I quickly gulped down the food in my mouth, and as I removed her hand away from me, I saw her set it down in her lap as she waited for a response.

"I'm fine, okaa-san." I replied back as I gave her a real smile.

Nodding at me, but still showing some concern, I knew she wanted to persist in her search, but I quickly saw her put the subject down and eat again.

Letting out a sigh, I was glad she didn't press further on the issue, and just when I was chewing on another piece of fish, I quickly spit it out in surprise as I heard my grandmother's own words.

"Takara, she's clearly concerned with her duties as a wife, especially when fulfilling her need to bare a child with her husband. I wouldn't be surprised; I mean the dear child has never had a boyfriend, let alone her first kiss, nor has she been taught the tricks of pleasuring and seducing a man."

I watched my grandmother in shock as those words came from her mouth; she had said them in the calmest manner as if she was talking about the weather outside and as my green eyes widened and as my cheeks flushed the deepest red color I could ever manage, my jaw almost fell down to the ground as I couldn't believe she could be so bold. I always thought the dinner table was a place for conservative conversations, not talking about my future endeavors of becoming a mother and discovering the mechanisms of making love.

My mouth slowly closed, and as I replayed her words over and over again in my head, I was clearly speechless. Turning towards my mother for any help, I saw her nod at me and as I was relieved to see her step in, I soon regretted it.

"Hikari, there's no need to feel ashamed, I'm sure you'll be a great wife for the Mizukage's son. If you need any help with that, I'll be happy to give you advice." She said as she smiled at me.

Looking at my mother as if she were crazy, I knew she took my plea for help in the wrong way; instead of trying to alleviate the situation, she only was encouraging my grandmother even more.

"She's right, Hikari; here, take this, you might need it in the near future." My grandmother said as she somehow pulled out a small, black-leather covered book from her sleeve and slowly handed it to me.

"I figure you like to read, so I thought that might be helpful."

My hands were shaking as I slowly accepted the book and now that I was looking at the book itself, I saw that there was no title on the side or the front of the book, and although I knew I'd regret opening it, my curiosity caused me to turn to the first page.

Skimming over the pages, I quickly turned to the table of contents and saw the names of the chapters; I couldn't believe that my own grandmother would give me a book like this, and as my cheeks blushed even more, I rapidly shut the book closed.

I felt a nose bleed coming, and as I quickly plugged my nose, hoping nothing would come out, I quickly ran out of the room, with the book in hand, and rushed into my room as I quickly shut the door.

Opening my closet in a rush, I was sure to hide the book in the deepest place in my closet and as I covered it over with my clothes, I almost felt relieved.

Turning around to sit down in my bed, I tried to understand what had just happened; I was almost sure I would've fainted if I read that book, and as I tried to not show my disgust, I somehow knew my grandmother planned to give this to me eventually. I always knew she wanted the best for me and despite how she always insisted I have a boyfriend and start a family early, I never understood why.

As I heard a knock at the door, I pretended to not be there because I had yet to recover from our previous dinner talk. As I tried my best to be quiet and not make a sound, I waited patiently to see if the person would go away.

The door knob slowly turned and as I readied myself to throw as many pillows as I could at my grandmother if she were to come through the door, I was at least happy to see my brother come into my room.

He slowly entered and as he sat before me on the bed, I quickly saw him smirk at me. Pointing out at the redness still apparent on my face, I couldn't help but blush even more in embarrassment and as I aimed and threw at pillow at his face, he was quick to dodge it completely as he caught it in his hand.

Silently cursing in my head at forgetting his shinobi skills, I crossed my arms over my chest and puffed out my cheeks in frustration.

Feeling my brother slowly deflate them and draw me towards his chest so that I was now nestled onto him, I was about to retort until I saw that same serious look I had seen earlier.

Deciding to not joke about anything, I quickly asked, "So how did the meeting go?"

Looking at me, my brother's gaze showed both concern and contemplation, and as I watched him, he replied with, "It went well; the two men need a place to stay for the time being and they're just here to pick up their payment. Everything should go smoothly."

As he said this, I looked up and saw that his last statement was more of a reassurance for me than him and as I was about to press further, he quickly interrupted me with, "They'll be staying here for two weeks; it shouldn't be any different. Hikari, don't worry about anything, everything will be fine. Now, you better get some sleep." Akio said as he kissed me softly on the forehead and ruffled my white hair.

Looking at him as he kissed my forehead, I saw some fear flash through his eyes and as I slowly nodded, he was quick to give me a smile. As he got off my bed, he had made his way towards the doorway and watched me as I got into bed and pulled the covers onto me.

Smiling at me one more time, he was quick to turn off my light, and softly close my door. I could hear my brother's footsteps as he entered into the hall and as I listened to them, I knew something was definitely wrong; he never walked this noisily around the house and as I shut my eyes and pulled onto my covers to cover myself even more, as if that would stop the fears from coming for me, I knew I didn't like this foreign feeling of fear.

Fear; the word itself even evokes some sort of reaction and even though we always try to deny those things that cause us to worry and become afraid, we find that denial only makes it worse.

I suppose this was just another road block in life and tomorrow would always be brighter; I wasn't giving these two men the benefit of the doubt and I couldn't possibly judge two people I don't even know. You're never supposed to judge a book by its cover, but when your brother is trying to hide his worry in front of you, then what are you supposed to do?

* * *

**Well I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Tell me what you thought of it please!**

**In this chapter, I wanted to show how close her relationship is with her brother and the personality of her grandmother. It was definitely interesting to write that scene, so I hope it wasn't too awkward, but it definitely was for Hikari. For that scene, I just wanted to show that Hikari is still innocent and despite how she is 19 years old, you could tell she's not used to talking about those things. **

**Until next time then! Ja Ne!**

**-katara**


	4. Chapter 4: Festivities

**Sorry for the late delay! I've been extremely busy and although it took me a long time to write out this chapter, I'm definitely satisfied with the way it turned out. So on behalf of everyone who reviewed, favorited, and story alerted this story, I'd like to apologize for the delay and I hope this chapter lives up to your standards. Thanks to those who reviewed! And now, continue on with the story. **

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* * *

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Chapter 4: Festivities

Beauty; it's a word that's broadly defined and each and every one of us have different opinions on what the most beautiful thing in the world is and at the moment, I find myself asking the same thing. In truth, who was I to say what was beautiful and what wasn't; those would only be the standards I set myself and although I have a different perception of beauty, I can't refrain from thinking what I believe in. This whole world is beautiful; it's so full of life and kindness and with each waking moment, I find that what truly liberates us from our lives is breaking all those bonds that bind us and clump us together. All those family ties, relations with people, and materialistic possessions all want to define us, but all I really want is to be known as Hikari, not known as a Tsutano. I want to make a name for myself on my own because if you let your family name define yourself, then you've truly lost your own identity. I knew what I wanted out of life and I was determined to find it; no longer would I be defined by my family name or origin, I'd make my own name and identity shine. I'd let people hear my own voice rather than stand in the background because in life, you can't cower down and give up; you have to fight in order to survive.

But there's always those times where you believe you can't reach that moment that you've dreamed about all your life, and your world begins to crumble right before your very own eyes, then what are you supposed to do?

Sometimes when life looks down on you, you have to make the most of your situation; you can't let unfortunate events hold you back and make you who you are today. It only takes one moment in your life to change you, and when you lose sight of what's important, that's when you fully fade into the background. It's something we all do when we become caught up in our own lives and ignore all our troubles; we forget the position that fate has placed us in and as we continue on in life, we find that we can't fight against destiny, because in the end, it'll win whether we like it or not.

It's not a test of winning or losing, it's a test of who is willing to follow the rules; rules that are written for each of us at birth, and those are the rules we're supposed to follow. Whether we decide to rebel or not, the choice is ours, but just because we can fight back, doesn't mean that most of us will. But that doesn't mean we can't choose to enjoy life, and perhaps, maybe if we all decided to take a step back and see what's truly important, we'd realize that it's the simple things that make up life.

Maybe we all find life to be too ordinary or boring, but it's those moments that cause you to look back and reflect on how good life is; life's not measured in how many breathes you take, but how many moments take your breathe away. Fate may not always be that kind to you, but you always have to remember to keep your head up high, and take on life head on.

* * *

It was just another normal day, except instead of the calm atmosphere surrounding the household, it was full of chaos as I walked around and saw several of our servants running around. Everyone seemed more tense than normal and as I watched several of them run through the hallways with huge amounts of decorations while some were cleaning the house, and some of them hanging up elegant paper lanterns, I stopped in my tracks as I looked around at the whole entire backyard.

I saw how hastily each and everyone of them was acting and as I paused and tried to think of a way as to why they were all acting this way, I finally realized why; just looking at the early morning, I could tell that the way the clouds were shaped and by color of the horizon that showed a slightly off toned bluish color that everyone was getting prepared for the Tsuki Festival. Just by looking up at the sky, I could tell that it would happen in exactly two weeks and despite how early the preparations were, to a tourist, it would seem strange, but to people who've spent their whole lives in this town, it would seem normal. This type of festival wasn't something that was annual, but it happened about every 10 years because it was a celebration for the blue moon that appears in the night sky and as I saw how excited everyone was, I watched them quickly try to perfect the whole environment. And as I looked back at the memorable décor, it quickly brought me back to my own experience of my first festival.

_Flashback: _

"_Aniki! Look, look, the moon's blue!" a younger Hikari said as she was still holding her brother's hand and still jumping up and down, just like the nine-year old girl she was. _

_Chuckling, Akio was quick to reply with, "Of course it is, Hikari. The festival is about celebrating the blue moon and the good luck that has been blessed upon our town. The blue color is supposed to represent the harmony among us and the many other villages."_

"_I never thought of it that way. Nii-san, do you never think I'll be able to travel outside of Kuroshio?" a younger Hikari asked as her green-eyes reflected some glint of hope. _

_Looking back as his little sister, Akio was quick to lower to her eye level and ruffle her snow-white hair as he said, "Hikari, I think anything's possible; you'll find that adventure out there one day, and I think it's going to be the best one yet." Her black-haired older brother said as he gave her a genuine smile. _

_Smiling back up at him and giving him a quick hug, Hikari was quick to say, "Arigatou, aniki." _

_End of flashback. _

It's surprising how well I could remember memories that were so close to me and as I looked back and watched the backyard become slowly transformed into an enchantment, I saw that it was decorated throughout with beautiful colors starting with some splashes of light pinks, oranges, yellows, and moving into the more darker colors of purple and blue. It was definitely a sight to behold and as they reflected the same exact image I remembered as a child, I was amazed at how fast time could pass you by. Time's a cruel thing; it doesn't stop to allow you to embrace and enjoy those moments you treasure, but instead, it keeps pushing you forward. And as I stood here before all the decorations and people surrounding me, I understood that maybe time was only warped this way to play with our emotions and no matter how much we would want to go back in time, we realize we can't repeat the past.

As I stood there still looking at the decorations with my green orbs, I became mesmerized; it wasn't until after a few more moments did I allow my feet to move my body slowly in a circle around the area. I looked from side to side to admire the old decorations that had made my childhood memories and as I became caught up in everything, I failed to realize that I had bumped into someone until I finally felt my body fall upon theirs.

I tightly shut my eyes as both our bodies hit the wooden floor with a loud thump noise, and as I felt my arms pressed against a hard chest, I quickly opened my green orbs and was shocked beyond belief. I felt my lips being pressed against someone else's and as I lifted my mouth away from said person's I shakingly got up and tried to compose myself.

Widening my eyes and quickly feeling blood rush to my cheeks, I softly touched my lips, and stood frozen in my place as I looked at the stranger I had just bumped into; slowly observing him as I watched him get up onto his feet as well, I saw that he was about a head taller than me. As he was still rubbing his head from where he had fallen on, I saw that his blonde hair was tied up into a pony-tail with some bangs covering part of his face, and I quickly recognized the blue-colored eye that I had seen before. He was the same man in the black and red cloak and as I still stood there as still as possible, I saw his one blue eye stare right into my green-orbs.

Trying to look away, I saw him slowly glare at me but quickly allowed his own gaze to soften as he gave me a small smile. As I raised one of my white-brows at his strange behavior, I quickly saw him offer one of his hands as he slowly rubbed the back of his head and offered to apologize.

"Gomen. It was my fault; I was in a hurry, un." The blonde had said as he offered me a sincere smile and still held his hand outright.

Slowly nodding at his apology, I was at first hesitant to shake it as I saw several bandages wrapped around both his palms, but as I overcame my fear and shook his hand, I quickly let go and allowed my own arm to return back to its place.

"It's all right. It was my fault as well; I wasn't watching where I was going." I slowly responded back. I was still keeping my guard up as I was talking to him and as I was just about to pass by him, I regretted even saying anything. It wasn't the fact that he wasn't a nice person from my first impression of him, it was that I wasn't used to talking to men or even being within a few feet of them and as I stood before the blonde man, I felt quite intimidated by his piercing gaze and height.

"My name's Nao, un, what's yours?" He asked as I felt his gaze still on me.

Looking at him with a look of a bit of surprise on my face, I replied with, "Hikari…, y-you must be one of the men that are staying here, correct?" I had said and I just left it at that because I still felt uncomfortable in front of him.

"Hai. My friend and I were just passing through, un. As travelers after all, we needed a place to stay, un." Replied the kind stranger.

Nodding my head to show that I understood, I quickly said, "I see…well, I hope your stay is nice."

I saw Nao nod his head as well and as he said, "It's been nice so far, un. And I was glad to have met you. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go, un," and just like that I saw him smile at me and quickly leave.

Staring back at his figure, I couldn't help but ponder that something was a bit off about him; he was charming to say the least, and he was pretty good-looking, but even from his apology, I could see that small glint of mischief he held in his eye. As I watched him make a quick left around the corner, I still felt uneasy about him despite how kind he seemed to be. I know that despite how you're not supposed to judge someone by their appearance, but something just about him was telling my gut to keep my guard up and that's all I needed.

Getting back on track to my thoughts, I had another situation to deal with; after overcoming the shock from that supposedly intimate action, I was stuck in my own daydreams as I replayed the event in my head. The fact that it was my first kiss was what devastated me, but what made me even more confused was that I felt some sort of spark when our lips met and as I tried to shake that feeling from my mind, I couldn't help but try to think about the kiss over and over again. Wasn't it when that you met your soul mate that you felt that type of spark and if so, then what did I just get myself into?

I couldn't bare to even think how amazing such an innocent act could feel and as I felt my cheeks flush from embarrassment and felt the rosy color return back again, I was reminded of how inferior I felt towards those types of things. I wasn't experienced as most people would be at my age and as I contemplated this while I stood still in the hallway, I just somehow wished there was some sort of class for something like this because if I didn't learn about how to control my emotions or intimate actions, I surely wouldn't survive.

As the image of Makoto came to mind, it only made my cheeks redden ever more and as I slowly let my feet guide me back to my room, my mind, to my own annoyance, continued to ponder about him along with the mechanics of relationships and love.

Just laying there on my soft bed, I tried to not panic from the shear fear of being so intimate with someone and as I felt my own heart rate increase from just my mere thoughts, I closed my eyes and allowed peace and serenity to enter into my mind before my own mind would betray me, and I soon found that my heart rate had slowed down.

* * *

After a long day, all I looked forward to was to have no more embarrassing moments or to have no more out-of-the-ordinary thoughts fill my head, but unfortunately, I guess today wasn't my day. You would think that after all the embarrassment that I put myself through on my own would be enough, but luck wasn't on my side.

I had spent most of my time in my room, trying to get rid of my strange thoughts, and as the sun had already set by the time I got up from bed, I slowly moved my own body and opened my door to enter into the hallway.

Taking another peek as if the stranger I had met in the afternoon would show up out of nowhere, I was still keeping my guard up and as I saw that everything in the hallway was quiet, I took one step out from my room.

Quickly taking a look over my shoulder, I was quick to walk a little bit faster, almost nearly fast walking, and as I turned around another corner, my heart skipped a beat as I bumped into another person.

I closed my eyes as I readied myself for the impact of the floor, as if I hadn't fallen that much today, and as I realized someone was holding onto me by my waist, I quickly opened my green orbs to see who I had crashed into.

Looking back up towards said person, my heart rate slowed down as I saw the familiar purple orbs of my brother and despite how he was giving me one of his teasing smirks, I smiled back and was relieved.

Setting me back onto my feet, I felt Akio ruffle my hair like always and despite how I always usually found it annoying, I let it slide because despite all the thoughts running through my head, I was just glad he wasn't the blonde man I had seen earlier today.

"You should watch out where you're going, Hikari. You almost caused me to drop these ornaments." Akio said as raised the two large boxes he was holding onto.

"Gomen, aniki. Here, let me help you." I said as I quickly grabbed one of the boxes and offered to carry it for him.

Despite how heavy the box was, I was determined to help him because for one, he is my brother, and two, I just wanted something to clear my mind and as I lifted the box up and nodded my head to signal that I was ready, I watched Akio moved forward as I slowly followed beside him.

We walked to the backyard in silence and as we finally made it to our destination, I let out a huge sigh as I lowered the box onto a nearby bench. I would say it would be an understatement to say that my arms were sore, because in truth, they were sore beyond belief and as I tried to not let my own weakness show in front of Akio, from the corner of my eye, I could swear I saw him smirk.

Erasing that thought from my mind, I saw my brother do the same with his box and as I quickly took a glance at my box, I saw that the majority of the heavy weight as due to several metal wind chimes and as I turned to look at my brother's box, I could clearly tell why he had smirked at me. Seeing the merely weightless paper lanterns in his box, I nearly exploded in frustration as I turned towards him and gave him my 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me look' as I glared at him.

"Well you offered, Kari. I was going to stop you, but you seemed so determined…" my brother said as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

Crossing my arms in front of my chest to show that I was a bit upset, I quickly just decided to just let it go; it was unlike me to do something like this, and I just realized that I did it in order to help him, so in truth, I really should've have been mad at him, I just let it slide.

"It's all right, Akio. I just wanted to help." I softly replied back.

I saw his purple orbs widen for a second from shock and as I saw him about to question if something was wrong with me, from the corner of my eyes, I saw him slightly hesitate and before I knew it, he decided to change the subject.

"So Hikari, anything interesting happen to you today?" asked Akio as he quickly rummaged through a box of decorations and waited for my answer.

I felt as though he knew something I didn't and as I tried to not let the blush show on my face, it wasn't much of a success; my mind continued to replay that kiss over and over again in my head and as I was grateful that my older brother was too focused on the box of decorations at the moment, I quickly composed myself.

"Nothing happened today; it was normal." I blandly said as I continued to look through my box of things.

"I see…so are you excited for the festival?" questioned my brother as he continued to rummage through his box.

Still continuing to look through my box and try to unravel each wind chime from another, I replied with, "Of course! It's going to be my second one."

"That's good to hear. Are you going to dance with anyone then?" Akio asked as he turned his purple-eyed gaze towards me.

What was this? Twenty questions or something? I knew my brother could be slightly nosy and despite how innocent his questions seemed to be, I'm pretty sure he had a motive behind everything and that was just to make me more flustered than normal. Akio knew how sensitive the topic of a date or even dancing with the opposite sex was to me and as I stopped my own previous actions, I remained silent.

As I thought over his question, my gaze widened at the hidden implication behind his words and as I reveled in the thought of my younger self being too self-conscious and shy to even ask someone to dance with me, I was determined to overcome my fear this time around. After all, I couldn't just wait another ten years to build up the courage.

Meeting up with his gaze, my green orbs seemed to glow with determination; I replied with, "This time around, I'm determined to dance with someone."

Still stuck in my own determined revelry, I heard my brother chuckle at me and as I turned to look at him, I saw some sort of strange glint in his eyes. It wasn't mischief or any teasing banter that he was holding in, but what I saw seemed like a look of pride, as if he was accepting the fact that I was growing up.

* * *

**Two weeks later:**

Waking up to a new day, I opened my green orbs to the incoming sun of the morning; as I felt the heat touch my ivory cheek, I groggily sat up and slowly tried to rub the sleep from my eyes. My body felt as stiff as a statue and as I felt the soreness spread throughout my whole body, especially in my neck and arms, I knew that I had slept in a strange position.

Ignoring whatever painful throbbing was going through my own body, I paid no attention to my body's cry of pain as I slowly let my feet touch the hardwood ground and use my muscles to allow the rest of my body to get up.

Once feeling the floor below my feet, I slowly steadied myself before taking my first step; feeling the soreness hit my feet, I tried my best to move. I felt myself move and as I prayed in my head that I'd make it through the day, I quickly felt myself lose my balance; as I tripped over my own two feet, I quickly woke up from my stupor as my eyes widened in shock. My face hit the hardwood floor with a loud smacking sound and as I felt the noise reverberate throughout the household, I was glad that everyone else was still asleep because I knew the exact reaction I would get from my brother if he saw me like this. Akio would definitely laugh at me and be that annoying older brother than you know and love and then just when I would think he's done messing with me, he'd once again ruffle my hair.

As I lifted my face from the ground of my room, I felt my forehead painfully throb from the impact from the wood and as I had my left palm cover up the soon to be bump on my head, I mustered as much strength as I could to get myself back onto my feet.

Slowly using my sore arms to prop myself up and get me back onto my wobbly feet, I finally managed to make it across my room without anymore injuries. I sat down before my vanity and as I squinted my green orbs and allowed some light to enter through my pupil, I looked through my window and saw the warm orange and yellow colors of the morning sky. The soft colors reminded me of my childhood with all those fond memories of Akio and me playing in the lake and spending everyday watching the sunset; it's sad how so much time could pass by so quickly that you don't even realize it. I think we all want to turn back time to revisit those fond memories and replay them over and over again in our heads, but time doesn't work that way; we can't go back in time, but what we can do is take on life head on and move forward.

It was a magnificent sight to see as all the colors meshed together and created a brilliant glow in the sky as the sun finally reached its spot on the horizon. The sun was going to be illuminating the sky for awhile and as I let the light kiss my ivory cheek again, I felt more alert and awake despite the long night I had just had.

Turning my attention away from the bright lit sky, I looked at my own reflection in the medium-sized mirror; as I ran my hand through my unruly, white hair, I saw my bed head and morning appearance. My forehead was red from my fall and was still throbbing in pain; despite how I tried rubbing it to relieve myself from the pain, it continued to get worse. Deciding to just quickly forget about my injury and just move on with the day, I turned my attention towards the rest of my appearance.

My hair was sticking out in all different directions as though it was defying gravity and as I moved my eyes towards the look on my face, I was shocked to see how much the stress of yesterday's event had caught up to me.

As I saw the bags under my green eyes, it became apparent that they formed from all the tossing and turning that had occurred overnight. I tried rubbing the sleep from my eyes, but I had definitely failed when I continued to yawn from exhaustion. Rather than continue to rub the sleep from my eyes, I decided to stretch my arms and body before heading towards the bathroom.

* * *

Once I finished getting ready for the morning, I silently opened my door, hoping to not disturb anyone; looking around the hallway carefully, as if I was afraid anyone would catch me up this early in the morning, I silently crept out of my room and made sure to move as quietly as possible.

As I slowly passed by my brother's room, I heard him softly snore and as I tried to suppress a small giggle from coming out from my mouth, I moved forward and managed to make it outside without causing much noise. As I stood outside, feeling the rays of the sun and the light, airy climate hit my ivory skin, I slowly closed my green orbs as I absorbed in the warmth. Taking in a deep, calming breathe, I found it nice to be outside and alone for once, without anyone telling me what to do; it was like the tables were turned now and at the moment, I could decide to do whatever I wanted to do and maybe a small part of my subconscious liked it that way.

I enjoyed this type of peace; there was no one to bother you nor was there anyone to tell you what to do. It was as though I was apart from reality and at the moment, I wanted to stay in this type of peace forever; to embrace it and to appreciate it.

I find that people out there never like to follow the rules, but when they're forced upon you, then what are you supposed to do? People like to create their own rules because they want to pave their own road for themselves; they're not headed to please anyone but themselves, and perhaps people like that seem to appear selfish and naïve, but life's too short. There are chances in life that you'll miss each day if you aren't willing to take those risks, and that's who I aspire to be like. For all those people who stand up for their own beliefs and dreams, who are too stubborn to bend to the will of others, they find their own strength and independence on their own.

Maybe it was my turn to find my own independence; I felt like a cage bird that would never see freedom and maybe all I truly wanted in life was to fly away and never look back. Because in that moment of flight, you feel as though you're able to let go of all your worries and feel carefree. You're no longer caged and you have some control over your own destiny and maybe that's all I wanted in life, to just be liberated from the very chains that hold me down.

But who was I kidding; I was just a mere girl stuck in a simple, small town and I doubt there was any chance I'd get away from my boring life. I wanted more out of life, more than my current life could ever give me, and maybe the only hope I had of achieving my own happiness and escaping would be through my marriage. But that's just the way life is and despite how life can't give you what you want, it's that reluctance that causes us to hold onto our own dreams.

* * *

Before I knew it, I had spent more than a few hours in my own calm atmosphere and as I heard the breakfast bell ring, I was a bit reluctant to come back inside and return back to my own reality.

But my peaceful morning was disturbed as I heard Akio call out my name; at times like these, I usually would ignore his remarks, but I knew the type of person my older brother could be. In one moment, he could be this really sweet and caring brother, and then in the next, he could transform into an impatient, angry person and as of right now, I didn't want or need anyone to be angry at me. Today was the festival and I was determined to enjoy myself and have a fun time, and no one will stand in my way.

* * *

"Ohayo, Hikari. You sure did wake up early this morning." My grandmother stated as I walked quietly into the dining room and took my place beside my mother.

I slowly nodded at her statement and as I scanned the room, I saw that my brother was already at his seat beside me and as I looked at the delicious looking food on the table, my stomach silently was smiling in delight.

It was a great morning and to make it even a better day, I couldn't wait to go put on my new kimono and enjoy the festival; as I quickly broke my chopsticks and said grace, I didn't waste time as I quickly dug into the miso soup and rice porridge that stood before me.

Both dishes were amazing and as I bit into a piece of fried fish, my good day ended as I saw two more additional seats at the table. Raising my white eyebrow in confusion, I didn't have time to voice my question to my brother as I turned my head and saw the same two travelers that took refuge on our household two weeks before.

Their presence was still unsettling to me and as I felt the blonde's gaze still on me, I was sure to avoid his eye contact as I watched both of them sit down. I froze and stopped eating as I allowed the piece of fish to dangle from my chopsticks before hitting the bottom of my bowl.

I had tried to stay clear of both strangers, especially after the day I had bumped into the blonde and my whole plan for the full two weeks they would stay here was to stay as far away as possible from those men in order to avoid them like the plague. Throughout the two weeks, they didn't seem to cause any trouble and although at times I'd somehow feel someone was watching me, I chose to ignore it and continued on with life. I thought my plan was going slowly, well up until now, and as I looked at both men, I still couldn't believe it.

My mouth was still hanging down from the mere shock and as I saw both my brother, grandmother, and mother all welcome them to the table, I remained silent. I wasn't planning on saying a word to either one of them and as I was about to return back to eating, I heard a soft cough from my mother. I saw that both men hadn't bothered to grab any food and as my gaze switched from them then back to my mother, I knew something was wrong.

Stopping and turning my green-eyed gaze towards her, I saw the annoyance she held in her face as she looked at me; if anything, I knew my mother well and I knew that the thing that made her angrier than anything else in the world was disrespect towards others. After all, I did grow up in a household that emphasized etiquette and poise and as I sighed in defeat under my mother's gaze, I was quick to lift my head up, turn my gaze towards the travelers, and give them a small smile.

"Ohayo…please I'd be honored if you both would join us. Please help yourselves." I had said as I conjured up the best fake smile I could offer.

As I saw them both nod and break their chopsticks, I knew I was able to pull it off. Happily returning back to eating, I tried to not let their presence destroy my mood because like I said before, I wouldn't let anyone ruin anything for me today.

* * *

Everyone in our small town was continuing to fill up our large backyard and as I watched from the window in my room, I couldn't help but become slightly nervous.

My hair was pulled into a fine, elegant bun, with my bangs hanging my shape and as I played around with my light green obi that was holding my silver-blue kimono together, my nervousness only caused me more discomfort.

I didn't realize it, but I had begun to return back to my own habit of biting my bottom lip and as I looked out to see that everyone had arrived, I knew I had to come out with my family soon.

"Hikari, are you ready?" a familiar voice asked, breaking me out of my own thoughts.

Rather than answering with my voice, I slowly nodded, afraid that my voice would betray me and show my brother how much of a nervous wreck I was.

"Then let's go; we're all waiting for you." Akio said as he kindly offered his hand and as I slowly took it, I allowed him to lead me towards the door.

Taking another breathe to calm myself down, I took one more look at the illuminating, blue moon that was now shining down upon us and prayed to the moon spirit that things would go right.

* * *

It was a huge celebration and as I watched several of the villagers enjoying themselves and toasting to their good fortune, I was glad our village was a small, close-knit community.

The decorations had come together nicely and as I watched several of the lanterns light up and show our own town's party-scene, I was glad that the colors meshed well together. There were several small children running around and laughing along with older adults who were drinking and having the time of their times and as I happily smiled at everyone as I passed by through them, I took the time to move past the large crowds and finally found a small clearing to station myself.

I looked up towards the sky, and as I saw the stars brightly lit up and make the blue moon look even more beautiful, I was once again lost in my own little world.

I couldn't fully understand how something so simple could seem so complex and beautiful at the same time; it was boggling to me and as I tried to imagine how far the moon and the stars were, I felt a closeness among them, despite how far away I was from them. I'm only a small part of this large universe, but somehow, it felt things were finally going right and as I felt the heavens above smile down upon me, I was content with everything; I don't want things to change, I want things to stay the same.

As I heard the entire crowd become silent, I was quick to break out of my own thoughts and turned my attention towards my father, who now stood proudly on a small platform. Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing and as no noises were occurring, I heard my father clear his voice and say, "The night is still young and as I hope that all of your are enjoying yourselves and celebrating in our own good fortune, I'd like to be the one who states that it is now time for our traditional dance. So without further ado, I'd like to encourage my daughter, Hikari, to perform the Mizu no odori."

I was scared to death when I heard my father announce this and as I was gulping and trying to not show my nervousness, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do this anymore. I know I made a promise to myself and that I was pretty determined to perform this in front of our whole village and to ask someone to dance with me, I wasn't so sure what I was thinking when I said that.

All I knew at the moment was that I wanted to hide; to become invisible and just leave before I would get embarrassed. And as I was just about to do that, I felt a small push from behind that caused me to move forward; I was about to glare and give that person a piece of my mind, but as I turned, I saw that small smirk evident on my brother's face as he waved at me and wished me the best of luck.

I was going to go up to him and yell at him, but as I turned around, I saw that he was already gone. I silently cursed at him as I realized that he used his shinobi speed to disappear and as I felt everyone's gaze on me, it only made me even more nervous.

The Mizu no odori was a traditional dance that every citizen in Kuroshio knew and as I stepped in the center of the clearing, I didn't know if I was cut out for it. Traditionally, it's usually first performed by a female who would perform the dance with small droplets of water; the woman would traditionally mystify a man with the graceful movements of her body and if done correctly, the droplets of water would in turn be able to follow your own movements and create a magnificent illusion.

I had practiced this dance my whole life and so I was pretty confident in my ability to control the water, but as I stood before everyone and felt their gazes still on me, they were all causing me to doubt my own skills.

At the moment, I wasn't sure if I would be able to pull it off because most of the females here were well-qualified kunoichi that had a better ability of controlling the water and I knew that if I continued to feel nervous, my movements wouldn't be as fluid.

As I hastily scanned the crowd and saw that most of the people were keeping an eye on me, I felt self-conscious and surely didn't want to disappoint anyone who was watching me, so with another sigh of defeat, I just decided to try it. I mean nothing could get worse.

I scanned the entire area and as I tried to find any male that would be willing to accept my offer a noticeable blonde-haired man caught my attention. Squinting my green orbs, I could see that from a distance, that from his slacked jaw, bad posture, and yawn that he was bored and upon closer inspection, I realized it was the same blonde that I had bumped into.

_Flashback: _

"_My name's Nao, un, what's yours?" He asked as I felt his gaze still on me. _

"_Hikari…, y-you must be one of the men that are staying here, correct?" _

"_Hai. My friend and I were just passing through, un. As travelers after all, we needed a place to stay, un." Replied the kind stranger. _

_Nodding my head, I quickly said, "I see…well, I hope your stay is nice." _

_I saw Nao nod his head as well and as he said, "It's been nice so far, un. And I was glad to have met you. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go, un," and just like that I saw him smile at me and quickly leave. _

_End flashback. _

Despite the fact that I didn't want anything to do with him nor did I want to approach him, a small tug at my heart caused me to feel sympathetic for him. From what I saw, he seemed lonely and bored and at a huge celebration like this, I didn't see the point of being bored and isolated; people should be having a good time right now and as I still kept my gaze on him for a few more seconds, I decided that it was now my obligation to make his day better. I mean after all, it was his last day here and despite how I was still keeping up my guard around him, I decided to let it down for now. After all, I had judged without even knowing anything about him, and maybe, for all I knew, I'd get the chance to make a new friend.

Finally finding the confidence and determination in myself, I kept my gaze down on the ground, holding in my blush as I decided to start my dance. I still felt everyone watching me and as I turned to see a small jug of water near my feet, I quickly summoned what little chakra control I had learned as a child to cause the water to lift up into the air.

Holding out my arms and facing my palms toward the ground, I was quick to get onto the tips of my toes and began my dance.

With each step, I felt my body and the small droplets of water work as though they were one and as I felt everything be in sync, I felt weightless as I made my first jump and landed gracefully onto my feet. As soon as I felt my toes touch the ground, I quickly jumped into a pirouette and allowed the droplets to flow in the same spinning pattern my body was doing.

I noticed that I was finally in front of the very man I was planning to ask to dance and as I slowly approached him, I was sure to keep my green-eyed gaze on him as I circled around him. I saw him meet my gaze and as I softly smiled at him, I saw him become mesmerized by my movements.

Still circling around him, I saw him follow my movements and as I performed several leg flares and made sure to slightly brush past his shoulders each time I revolved around him, I performed my final jump. As I landed perfectly, I was sure to stop right before him as I ended with an arabesque, with my right leg extended behind my body while my left leg was supporting my body weight.

As my dance ended, I heard everyone applaud and as I felt the droplets of water freeze in midair, my full attention was still on the blonde. As I watched him from above look at me with his blue eyes, I saw that his eyes glinted with enchantment.

Still in my ending position, I waited patiently as I saw him bow and put his arm forward; as I stood before him, I was quick to bow as well and slowly took his hand in mine.

As I felt him lead us into the center of the dance floor, I saw that everyone else was now joining us and as we both became surrounded by several other people, I was glad that I was able to make the festival more enjoyable for him. He seemed to have a fun time as he spun me around and slowly dipped me before returning back to our original position.

And as I looked up into his blue orbs, I could see a genuine smile form on his lips and for once, I was glad I faced my own fear.

Despite how erratic my heart was beating at the moment, I was still in disbelief at how I had accomplished that, but that didn't matter anymore, because the success I was feeling right now, was amazing. It didn't matter that I was dancing with a complete stranger, but what did matter was that I managed to do something that I thought I would never be capable of in my own lifetime. And as I looked up to still see that true smile on his face, I felt him look down and meet my green eyes; as green clashed with blue, I quickly blushed and looked away as we both continued to dance.

As I turned my head to the side, I was sure to meet the purple-eyed gaze of my brother and as I saw him smile at me, I could see the slight shock and joy he held in his eyes. And as I looked back, I was sure to give him my own smile and just to add my own personal touch, stuck my tongue out in a playful manner at him.

I saw him chuckle at my silly gesture and as I saw a brown-haired girl approach him, I was happy for him as well as I saw him accept her offer and disappear onto the dance floor.

Everything felt perfect and despite how we all want and wish that these timeless moments would last forever, they can't; it's nearly impossible to recreate something from a mere memory or experience. But that doesn't stop people from trying; from testing those limits and going far beyond what's expected of us, because if you do try something like that, you'll find that you'll go far. Limits are only obstacles in our lives and were created for us to overcome them through risks; maybe those risks are so small that you don't notice them, but sometimes they're big enough to make you realize that you've accomplished something important; something that causes you to lift your head up a little higher each day and proclaim to the world that you're ready to take on anything that would come to you.

* * *

**Please review! And I'm sorry to say that I'll be gone for a week, so I just wanted to update this before I left on vacation! **

**Until then, leave a review and as soon as I get back, I'll be sure to update! **

**Ja Ne!**

**-Katara**


	5. Chapter 5: Dire Consequences

**Well after a long wait, I hope all my readers are satisfied with this chapter. I'm sorry for taking so long to update; it's just that I wasn't really sure where i wanted to stop this chaper and I wanted to reword some things before releasing this new chapter, so I hope I did this chapter justice. It's probably the longest chapter I've ever done; it's more than 11,000 words and it was 21 pages long. So I hope everyone enjoys it!**

**Thanks for those who have continued to review ever since this story has started and I looked forward to hearing from you guys and many other of guys out there. **

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Chapter 5: Dire Consequences

Sometimes there's those people who have done wrong and deserve to be punished for what they have done, and then again, there's those who do good deeds everyday, and they receive good things in return. But as for me, I guess I fall in the middle of the two; I don't think I'm a troublemaking person, but it seems like trouble always seems to find me.

A few weeks after our guests left, everything returned back to normal; no more bumping into the blonde stranger and no more embarrassing myself as much as I usually did and now that everything just seemed routine, I guess I could say I was slightly happy. I'm glad that I was slowly enjoying life and now that I was able to hold onto that new found confidence I gained at the festival, I was able to enjoy life more.

I didn't need someone to tell me who or what to believe in, because all I needed was to believe in myself.

* * *

It was just another normal day; the sun still stood above the horizon with the clouds, and as I watched it shine down upon us, I continued my way through the small market as sweat dripped down from my face. It was still a hot, summer day like most days and as I watched several people try to bargain down their goods, I was glad to be out of the house.

It wasn't everyday that I got to be free from my caged in home and as I took the time admiring the sights of the bustling people, I silently smiled at the scene. Several individual stalls were loaded up with fresh produce and as I watched numerous vendors and customers trying to find a compromise, I became somewhat distracted. Just watching all the scenes before me, I felt that we were all part of a huge community and I guess you could say that I find enjoyment in the most simplest of things because it actually felt nice.

I slowly took the time to take in everything and as I deeply inhaled and took in the scents of the fresh harvest and pastries of the marketplace and the fresh, musty scent of the nearby forest, it felt like home.

To me, a home is a place made up of the people and things in it, such as your family and the familiar places that you've gone to as a child, and despite how you and the people around you grow older, you should always feel like you're at home. It's like that comforting, secure, and inviting feeling that makes up a home and nothing feels more amazing than knowing that you have a home. Because no matter what happens to you, it's always nice to know that you have someplace to return to; a place that will always accept you for who you are and a place who holds those precious to you nearby.

I was still pondering my own thoughts and as I let my own mind wonder off for far too long, I realized I had zoned out when I felt a tap on my shoulder. My orbs widened in shock because I hadn't realized how long I was contemplating for and as I came back to reality, I had almost forgotten that I was accompanied by someone. Turning around to address Azami, one of our housekeepers, I saw the look of concern in her brown eyes and as I nodded my head to assure her that I was just in a daze, we both continued on through the market.

The huge crowds of people caused it harder to move through the market, and seeing that a severe rush of people were entering just before dinnertime to buy some last minute produce, it caused us to push through the massive amount of people and despite all the shoving, we both managed to make it to a clearing.

Stopping in my own footsteps and letting some of the groceries rest softly on the ground, I took a few breathes, and as I looked behind me and saw Azami was doing the same thing, I softly smiled at her and nodded my head to signal for us to continue.

It was nice to be outside and feel the nice, cool air of the night and as we now were able to walk beside each other, it felt less lonely and despite how quiet Azami was, it was nice to have her company. She wasn't that much older than me and I guess you could say that I would call her a friend; she's always been there and despite how her blazing red hair would cause her too much unwanted attention, she could be bold at times. She's always been someone I could find comfort in and I was at least glad that despite how little friends I have around here that I knew I could always count on her.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it Hikari-sama?" asked the red-haired as we both continued on walking back.

"Hai…and it's Hikari, Azami; just Hikari." I said as I gave her a nod and a small smile.

"H-hai, gomen….I hope we're not too late; I don't really like to keep people waiting." Stated Azami as she seemed a bit flustered and from her mere actions, it she was trying to increase her pace.

"It's fine, Azami; it's not like my parents and my brother are dying of hunger. They'll all be fine." I responded as my tone showed her my assurance.

Nodding her head, I took that as her response and as I continued gazing at the stars and the beautiful night sky, I stopped dead in my tracks as I heard a soft noise.

I could feel Azami's confused, brown eyes scan over my own actions and as I stood in the same spot and closed my green eyes to concentrate on the noise, after a few more moments, my ears picked up on the sound and recognized it as a cry for help.

Without another second thought, I quickly ran towards the screams and as I heard Azami continue to cry my name out loud, I ignored her pleas and continued on.

My feet were constantly hitting the dirt ground and as the cries became louder and louder, I only became more determined to get there in time. I felt my white hair constantly hit my face and as the adrenaline, that was now rushing through my system at a dramatically fast rate, cause me to speed up, I finally reached my destination as I slowly skidded to a stop before an alleyway.

With my own eyes, I was shocked to see at least five men cornering a small child and as I set my own groceries on the ground, my own heart was screaming at me to go help, while my own mind was telling me to just walk away and find someone else to deal with the situation. But being myself, I originally tended to listen to my heart and as I saw that the small boy already was suffering from some injuries, I couldn't help but feel a small tug on my heart as I watched the boy's orbs portray the fear that he was feeling inside. And at that moment, I wasn't just about to walk away just because I was scared for my own well-being because I was more afraid for the young boy than anyone else.

My brother always taught me to stand up for what you believed in and to protect those close to him and despite how he's a shinobi that actually has the skills to back up his beliefs, I guess I became caught up in what he believed in too. At this moment, I was not willing to back down and just as I was about to take one step further and raise my voice to grab their attention, I felt someone harshly pull me back.

Feeling someone grab me by my elbow, I quickly turned and as my green orbs met up with brown ones, I knew that Azami was trying to pull me out of the situation I was just about to get myself into. Seeing her brown orbs glare at mine and even seem to dare me to take one further step to find out what the consequence would be, I slowly removed her arms from myself and watched her carefully to see what she had to say.

"Hikari, are you crazy? You can't get involved in something like that. Now let's just go home; we don't want to keep them waiting for dinner any longer." Azami urgently stated as she tried to pull me back, but despite the amount of strength she put in, I still stood frozen to my spot.

My own mind knew that what I was about to do was going to be foolish, but despite the inner conflict that was going on inside my head, I decided to ignore what my own brain was advising me to do. And as I turned my attention back towards Azami, I knew that despite her pleading look, I wasn't going to back down.

With another firm stand, I looked back at the group of thugs and as I cautiously watched them from afar, I saw one of the men swiftly pick up the small boy by the shirt of his collar. Just watching him struggle in the large man's grip made my blood boil and as I quickly shoved my bags into Azami's arms, I was ready to take some sort of action.

"Hikari! What do you think you're doing!" Harshly whispered Azami as she held onto the groceries and put her body in front of me.

"Azami, please move out of the way; just go home with these groceries, I'll be fine." I stated as I continued to move around her.

"Are you out of your mind? These men are more than twice your size; what can someone like you do?" responded the redhead as she looked at me with more concern and fear in her orbs.

Turning around to confront her once more, I understood why she would feel this way for me, but for someone else out there, this little boy could mean the world to them and maybe I could be that person who makes a difference in his life.

"I'm sorry, Azami, but I have to do this; I can't just stand here and let them get away with this. It's people like them who cause harm to others for no reason." I explained as I moved past her and continued my way towards the group.

Narrowing my orbs, I decided to take several more steps until I stood completely in front of the group of men and as slowly gulped and held a bit of hesitation towards my upcoming actions, I decided to stay firm.

As I coughed to get their attention, I felt several pairs of eyes on me and as I stood firmly in my spot, I got the courage to speak my mind.

"Let him go! What are guys like you doing with this little boy?" I said as I tried to make my voice sound as loud and threatening as possible despite the fear that was slowly taking over my body.

"Look here girly, leave here before you get hurt. I wouldn't want to hurt a pretty thing like you, but if you keep pushing my buttons, well then, let's just say things are just going to get ugly." The large, brown-haired man said as he grinned at me. And as I saw an evil glint appear in his eyes, I was almost pressured to back down, but being my own foolish and stubborn self, I guess I couldn't ever back down from a challenge.

"Look here, buddy, the only way I'm getting out of here is if you let the boy go and promise not to cause anymore trouble. Five against one isn't really a fair fight now, is it?" I said as I somehow managed to gain some backbone in this type of situation.

I saw the large, brown-haired man drop the boy to the ground and as I felt him glare at me with his obsidian orbs, I saw his grin turn into a devilish smirk.

I guess my loudmouth always seemed to get myself into trouble and despite how it felt good to tell that thug a piece of my mind, I guess I shouldn't have done that unless I had some sort of weapon or fighting skills to back up my own words because within a few moments, I felt someone punch my stomach.

The attack happened at such a quick rate that I didn't have time to register the amount of pain I was now feeling in the pit of my stomach and as I took a heaving breath to exam the five men, I knew that the opponents that I was now up against weren't ordinary men.

Actually, examining up close now, I realized that they looked like rogue nin from their headbands that clearly indicated that they were a long way from home and as I observed them for a few more seconds later, I felt my body slam harshly against the opposing wall as my attacker held my wrists above my head.

The strong, vice-like grip he was restraining me with would surely cause bruising, but at this moment in time, all I wanted was for the both of us to be safe.

As I glared at him with my green orbs, I tried my best to pry his hands off of me. And as I felt him get closer until his face was a few inches away from mine, I saw him form a small smirk on his lips.

I didn't like the way the same evil glint appeared in his orbs again and as I waited for him to make another move, I cautiously watched for any sudden movements.

"Listen brat, I was going to let you go easy, but I guess I have better plans for you." He said as he slowly allowed his hands to roam over my body.

As my mind broke out into panic mode, I was determined to not show my own fear in front of the enemy as I saw the lust hidden behind his eyes. I didn't see any way out of my situation and as I tried to find a way to get out of his grip, I knew whatever I would try would be futile; he was much larger and stronger than me, and I on the other hand, was just some girl who just got herself into a bad situation.

Well at this point, I already got myself into a problem and having nothing else to lose, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try whatever it took to get him to let go. Without thinking about the consequences, I was quick to spit in his face to show my disgust and as I watched him stop his actions and turn his angry gaze at me, I took that was my queue. Not even allowing him anymore time, I quickly kicked him in the groin and as he finally let me go, I quickly moved away from him as I saw him clutch into himself to stop the pain I had just caused him.

I carefully looked around the area and as I saw the rest of the men widen their eyes in shock at what I had just done, I saw from behind them that the little boy was giving me a small smile of encouragement. He didn't look that scared anymore and as I tried giving him my own smile of assurance, I didn't know how it turned out seeing that I was awful at lying or even faking anything. But I couldn't let him think that, now could I? So despite all the doubts I had in my head, I gave him the best smile I could muster because turning my attention back to the fight.

Within a few more moments, I was surprised to see him recover so quickly and as I felt a killer aura surround him, I knew what despite how I was able to get out of his grip, I was in trouble.

"You bitch! I'll teach you some respect!" I heard him exclaim as I heard him quickly take out a metal weapon and before I knew it, he had disappeared from the area. I was afraid where he'd turn up and as I tried to scan the area for him, I didn't pick up on his presence until I felt something being pressed onto my throat.

I had no idea what I had gotten myself into and as I felt a kunai knife being held before my own throat, I tried to not let any fear show in my eyes. Because if I was going down, I planned to go down bravely, rather than cowardly. But still, I really should've listened to Azami's and my own mind's advice and as I felt their words replay over and over again in my head, I guess I finally realized how stubborn I could be.

But I guess it was too late to realize that because there was no way I was going to make it out of this situation and despite all the hope I held for myself, I guess I could say I was proud of myself for something; I stood up for something I believed in and despite how foolish it was to face all these men by myself, I truthfully didn't regret it. So what if I lost my own life right here and so what if I would never experience what it was like to get married and have kids, as long as I made a change in someone else's life, none of that mattered.

I closed my green eyes, waiting for the deadly blow and as I slightly felt the tinge of metal move slowly past my neck, I realized that it wasn't deep enough to cause enough harm. As I was just about to open my orbs and see why his actions had suddenly stopped, I felt his body move away from mine.

Opening my green orbs, I was surprised to see the large man's body slouched onto the ground and as I saw a several drips of blood falling onto the ground from a katana, my own gaze followed the weapon until they came upon the user.

My orbs widened in shock as I saw my brother stand before me and as I watched him step towards the group of men, I was scared for his own well-being, but now looking back at the opponent I had face, I hadn't realized how strong of a shinobi my brother was.

I wasn't sure what was going on, but just before I could ask Akio what he was doing here, my own question was answered by a familiar voice.

"I went to find him for you." Azami said as she looked at me and carefully offered her hand to me in order to help me up. As I kindly accepted her offer, I felt her hold onto my tightly and balance me onto my own feet.

I hadn't realized how hurt I was from the attack to my gut and as I felt it slightly hurt from breathing in and out, I'm sure Azami took notice and tried to soothe my pain by allowing my body to rest on hers.

"W-when did you get him?" I asked as I watched the battle unfold before me.

'When you first confronted the men; I wasn't going to let you go out their and be reckless now was I?" answered the redhead as she smiled at me.

"Arigatou, Azami-chan." I said as I turned my attention back to my brother. I saw him approach the group of men and as I watched attentively for his next move, I blinked my green orbs, and I swear I missed everything. Before I knew it, I saw the rest of the four men all fall to the ground, as if they tripped over their own two feet, and as I watched my brother slam one of them roughly against the wall, I watched him confront the man and glare at his opponent with his purple eyes.

This was a side I had never seen from Akio and as I saw the fierce and determined look in his eyes, I could see why he was such a great shinobi; he had the passion and the drive to be the best at what he was and as I watched him unleash his power upon the man, I knew he was allowing his own anger to overpower him. I knew that it was mainly my fault as to why he was acting this way and I knew that he was taking it out on this one man because I had gotten hurt. I now knew why they called him Demon-eyed Akio because of the look in his eyes and because of the fierceness he showed in battle. I never saw him battle or train before and I now realized that there were two sides to him; there was the side that I knew, the one who was kind and comforting, and then there was the other side, the one I was seeing now. The one that showed what a true warrior he was on the battlefield and despite this new side of him, I wasn't afraid; I knew the real person Akio was, and despite how harsh he was being, I knew he was just acting this way to protect me.

I watched him drop the man to the ground, and as I saw his opponent slowly back away from my brother and signal to his other friends to leave, I let out a sigh of relief I hadn't realized I had held in.

I felt someone quickly approach me and as I saw the little boy that I had just risked my life for to protect, I saw him slowly bow to me.

As he raised himself up, I saw that from his spiky, blonde-haired appearance, he was probably about seven years old and as I saw the amount of gratitude held behind his green eyes, I also saw how relieved he was as well.

"Arigatou.." he said as he bowed once again.

Patting him on the head and slowly ruffling his hair, I gave him a small smile and replied back with, "Ie, ie (no problem), I'm just glad you're safe. Now stay out of trouble all right?" I had said as I lowered down to eye level with him.

Nodding his head, he replied with, "H-hai. I will. I promise."

Smiling and nodding at his response I straightened myself out and as I felt my brother slowly approach us, I silently gulped as I saw the stern look on his face; not wanting to say anything, all four of us stood there in silence waiting for something to happen and just as I was about to try to break the silence with joke, Akio jumped in.

"Azami, can you please escort my sister back home. I'll be back shortly; I have to get this little guy home." Stated my brother as he turned to me and looked at sternly. With the tone he had addressed Azami with, I knew that he was upset with me and as I saw her nod and refuse to question him, I felt her slowly drag me away.

Just as I was a few steps away from him, I heard Akio whisper to me that he wanted to talk to me and as I sighed in defeat, I guess you couldn't win every battle out there, well at least in my case, I couldn't and as I silently walked back home, I wasn't looking forward to the lecture I was about to receive.

* * *

It only took ten minutes for Akio to come back and as I hoped it would take him longer, I guess I wasn't lucky. I managed to get cleaned up and get rid of the blood that was on me and as I walked through the household in my own sleeping clothes, I wasn't looking forward to this talk at all. And as I arrived at our backyard, I saw that Akio's back was turned towards me as he stood before the lake, looking up at the full moon and the bright stars.

I slowly approached him and as I stood behind him, I saw him turn towards me with his arms crossed in front of his chest; I felt his purple orbs narrow down at me and as I tried to distract myself from his intense gaze by looking at a common rock, I knew that I'd have to give my attention to him eventually.

"Hikari, look at me." He demanded as I still continued to look at the ground. Hearing the clear emphasis on my name, I knew how much trouble I was in and not wanting to anger him anymore, my green orbs met with his gaze.

Seeing his purple eyes, I saw how much anger he was holding down inside and as I remained silent, I just knew I should let him say what he wanted to say to me first.

"How could you be so reckless? Did you not realize that you were being foolish out there! You were lucky all you received was just a minor injury; in the worst case scenario, you could've been killed. What would've happened, Hikari, if Azami didn't come and get me? What would've happened if I wasn't there?"

I didn't know how to respond to my brother's words because I never saw him ever have an outburst like that and as he stood before me, expecting an answer, for the first time, I had to find the right words to use in front of him.

"I-I was just standing up for something I believed in; just like how you taught me."

"That doesn't mean you should've done something like that, Hikari. Like I said you could've been killed!"

"But, I wasn't, Akio! I wasn't killed! Don't you understand that? I'm still here standing before you, isn't that enough? Isn't it enough to know that I'm safe?" I asked as I waited for my brother's response. I knew my outburst wasn't doing well for my own case and as I watched my brother turn down his temper as he pinched the bridge of his nose, I knew that he was calming himself down.

After a few more moments, I saw Akio's eyes soften and as he lowered the volume of his voice, I was at least happy he wasn't too angry at me.

"That's not the point, Hikari. I don't want you to ever get hurt. What happened today, I almost thought I would've lost you if I didn't come in time. So many thoughts rushed through my mind when I heard what happened. How do you think that made me feel? To know that my little sister was hurt somewhere and that she needed my help?"

"Listen, Akio, I'm sorry I worried you; all I wanted was to prove that I could protect people too, I never meant for you to get upset or worried over me. Next time, I'll be sure to not act so foolishly."

Opening his arms, I hesitantly walked towards him and let him hug me and as I felt secure in his arms, I couldn't help but snuggle my head in his chest as his fingers brushed through my hair. "Hikari, I was just worried; it's all right with me if you want to protect those close to you, but next time, just don't do it alone. I don't know how I could ever live with myself if I lost you."

Looking up at him, I saw him smile down at me and as I returned his smile with my own, I replied with, "Arigatou, aniki. And don't worry; you won't ever lose me, just like how I'll never lose you."

It felt like an eternity while we stood out there in the cold climate and as

"Well then, I guess you better go to bed now, it's pretty late." Akio said as he slowly released me from his grip.

Nodding and slowly stepping back from him, I smiled up at him because I realized that our sibling relationship went deeper than most relationships; we'd always look out for each other and despite what would happen, we'd always be there for each other; and that's something I'll always be glad about.

Akio was right; it was getting pretty late because it seemed like every light in the household was already out and as I was about to walk indoors, with my brother following closely behind me, I heard my stomach growl.

Despite everything that had happened tonight, I had totally forgotten that I had missed dinner and as I prayed in my own head that my brother hadn't heard my hungry stomach, I turned around just in time to see him laugh.

Chuckling at me, I saw a small smile form on his lips and as he ruffled my hair in an attempt to make me feel less embarrassed, he said, "On second thought, we better get you something to eat. You're probably hungry."

"Thanks, Akio." I said as I giggled at myself as well; I guess no matter what happens, we could always return back to normal, even with those strange moments in between.

* * *

_Dream: _

_Everything looked calm, as though everything was in its place; the wild flowers were blooming beautifully, showing their own different assortments of oranges, yellows, and pinks, and as I strolled pass a large meadow full of the colorful plants, I felt at peace. _

_It seemed calm and a nice quiet peace entered into me and as I walked down the path towards my home from the forest, I was within a few feet away before I saw the smoke. At first I didn't know what the gray-ish color was; the treetops covered most of the sky and as I got past the green scenery, it was then I realized what the gray color was. _

_I started to panic; just by seeing the dark-gray gas rise above the very place I grew up in, my heart rate dramatically increased as I felt it banging against my chest. I started running, trying to push myself further and further to increase my pace and although I wasn't a shinobi, I somehow sped up faster and faster as my determination caused me to continue on. My feet felt as though they were moving at a slow pace despite my perseverance and as I felt myself come closer and closer to my home, a part of me was afraid to see what I would uncover. _

_I froze in my tracks; afraid to go any further because my own intuition was warning me about what I was about to see. I was breathing heavily from the running I had just done and I knew it wouldn't be a pleasant sight, but as I thought over several scenarios in my head, I pushed forward as I made the last steps towards my home. _

_The sight was something to behold; everything was burning due to the fierce, red-orange flames eating away at the leftover homes and several dead bodies littered the ground. At first when I encountered a man lying on the ground, I thought he was just unconscious, but when I turned him over, I screamed in terror as I saw the bloodshed evident from his numerous wounds. _

_I felt his blood stick to me like glue and continue to spread like a virus and as I tried to scrub whatever residue was put onto me, I felt completely unclean; I had seen death without realizing it and as my mind automatically made my own body move on it's own, that feeling continued to stay with me. _

_My feet instinctively lead me to my household, but nothing in the terrain seemed familiar; my home was nowhere to be found and as I searched desperately through all the rubble that was my home, I found nothing. No traces of anyone; it seemed like everything disappeared and as I stood there, the only thing I felt was abandonment. _

_Despite how many several of the dead bodies that littered the ground floor, all I wanted was my family and now, they were nowhere to be seen. _

_At that moment, I decided to run, and scream their names as I continued moving my feet; shouting to the heavens above, I prayed someone would answer me. _

_But after a few moments later, I ended up in a clearing, with no answers except the echoes of my own voice. My throat was throbbing from the strain, but that didn't matter to me because I was now truly alone. _

_End dream. _

It was too real and maybe my subconscious was telling me that something was wrong, but as far as I knew, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I felt as though everything was finally coming together; it had only been a few weeks after the Tsuki Festival and as I still had more confidence in myself than ever, I had started to believe in myself and my own worth.

It was all dark and as I blinked my green eyes several times as I adjusted my pupils to the barely lit room, I couldn't even remember a time when a nightmare could ever scare me as bad as this one had. I was sweating and heavily breathing and as I tried to keep the mere shock of seeing such a vision cloud my mind, I clutched onto my head as I felt a tremendous pounding hit the sides.

Maybe that horrible dream was getting to me or maybe I was just too overwhelmed with what I saw that I was slowly panicking, but despite what my own gut was telling me, I didn't want any of this to happen.

Sometimes we all love living in our dreams; it's like our own safe haven where we control everything and everyone in there according to our desires and needs. And when we wake up, we find that we want to return back to that dreamland because in truth, our dreams are better than reality. We want to sleep forever and stay in our own worlds because when we wake up, our own reality is a nightmare. A nightmare that continues to haunt you for eternity and when you want to wake up from the terrible dream, you can't because it's real.

* * *

I had been at least a week since I had that nightmare and a few weeks ever since our two guests left; ever since that moment I had that nightmare, it continued to haunt my dreams for the whole week and I knew it was taking a toll on me; my eyes were starting to droop and show my lack of sleep and as I looked at myself before the vanity mirror, I noticed how much paler I had gotten. My complexion wasn't the same ivory tint I had held onto for my whole life and as I tried to shake off the exhaustion from my face, I realized how paranoid I was becoming.

Even from the smallest of sounds, like the closing of a door or a squeaking of a wooden floorboard, I noticed how I would slightly jump out of my seat in fear each time. I knew living in this type of fear my whole life wasn't healthy for me, and as I tried to comfort myself by wrapping my arms around my body, I just needed to talk to someone who would understand me. And with that thought in mind, I quickly raced out of my room to find my brother.

I rushed through the hallways and despite how unruly my appearance was, I ignored my tangled up hair as it continued to stick to my face because I became too determined to find him.

Quickly turning around a corner and making my way towards the one place I knew he would be, I made my way towards the exit of our home, quickly entering into the forest and skidded to a stop once I saw him near the lake. I always knew he would be here because ever since as a child, he'd always come her to think or to just be alone because it was his spot and as I watched him form where I stood, it only brought back old memories of us hanging out here together.

Akio always understood me; all of me precisely. There was no one out there in this whole world who could understand who I am and I was glad he was always there for me. He'd always been there to be the calm, logical person when I'd, at times, freak out or panic and as I stood there and felt pride flow through me for his many accomplishments, I was happy he was my older brother.

He was calmly leaning onto a large oak tree and as he scanned the calm waters with his purple orbs, I was trying my best to not disrupt his peaceful mindset as I approached him from behind.

Even before addressing him, he didn't need to turn around to know that I was already here and as he took a few more seconds to look at his calm surroundings, he uncrossed his arms and came to face me.

"Hikari, are you all right? You seem out of place…" stated Akio as he looked at me with concern in his orbs.

I knew Akio; he could always read me like an open book, and despite how my disheveled appearance could be a dead give away to what I was going through at the moment, I guess he wanted to hear from first hand what was going through my mind.

I felt his purple gaze focus on me and as they penetrated through my own green orbs, I had almost forgotten why I had come to him, but as I broke through my daze and found the right words to form coherent sentences with, I took a huge breath before telling him exactly what was bothering me.

"I've been having this reoccurring nightmare and I don't know what to do about it. All of it seems real and it scares me to know that it could actually happen. Akio…I don't want to lose you, or mother, or father, or grandmother; the truth is, I'm scared. I don't want to end up alone.." I said and as I felt Akio quickly embrace me, I hadn't realize that I started crying until he began wiping tears away from my face.

We stayed in that same position for a long time; I didn't know how much time passed as I continued to unleash all the emotions that was passing through my body and maybe some of the tears were still from my strange teenage hormones, but I was pretty sure most of it was from all the stress that had been building up since the beginning. I was soon able to stop the tears from pouring out of my eyes and as I released my grip from his body, I slowly stepped back as I tried to wipe my own face with the sleeve of my kimono.

"Arigatou, aniki. I needed that." I said as I stepped back and tried to give him a reassuring smile to prove to him that I was fine. But like I said before, Akio could always read me, and as I waited for him to say something else, I saw a strange glint of emotion pass through his eyes; I didn't know what it was, but as I tried to decipher it again, I found that it was already gone as he looked down at me.

I wanted to ask him what he was thinking about, but before I could ever ask him, I felt him take me into another embrace and hold me more tightly than ever before.

"I promise you, Hikari that I'll always be there for you; I'll always protect you. You don't have to worry about that." I heard him whisper as he continued to hug me and rub soothing circles on my back.

As I closed my eyes and let his words sink in, I felt better about myself; that maybe, I wasn't going to end up alone and that maybe things were just going to get better from here because in that moment, I felt safe. I felt so secure and sure that nothing bad was going to happen because I knew that Akio would always be there for me, like he always was.

It's always a comforting feeling to know that someone will always be there for you; it's not everyday that someone will tell you that, and despite what they say, their own actions speak louder than words. And throughout my life, Akio has proven that to me numerous times before and I knew I could count on him even up until now.

* * *

The sun shined down on Kuroshio just like any ordinary day and as I continued down the path towards the meadow of colorful flowers, I clutched the sketchbook that I held in my arms.

As I finally arrived at the exact spot I always sat on when I visited this meadow, I quickly lowered my body onto the wooden log and sat down. Looking at the beautiful scenery before me, I became entranced by the colorful plants and as I took out a pencil and carefully began to sketch the field of flowers before me onto my sketchpad, it was nice to just be alone for a moment.

I liked feeling the nice breeze pass through my hair and tangle it up and I liked enjoying the calm atmosphere that was now surrounding me and all I wanted right now was to stay like this for awhile. I was glad there were no disruptions to the peace I found in myself right now and as I quickly finished up my sketch, I took time to look through the notebook at the several pictures I had drawn out.

Most of the pictures in this book were already colored with careful attention to shading and detail and as I continued looking through all of them, they caused several memories to resurface; I could clearly remember the day that I got this book and ever since then, I've truly cherished it.

_Flashback: _

"_Akio-nii-san!" I screamed as I made my way throughout the whole household, screaming my older brother's name. _

_As I quickly made my way towards the other side of the mansion, I managed to bump into someone else. I felt my body slowly fall down onto the wooden floors and as I felt the person pick me up by my waist, I sheepishly smiled as I realized that I had bumped into my brother. _

_Brushing off some dirt that may have gotten onto my dress, I looked up at my brother with a smiling face with my arms crossed behind my back and as I saw him sigh at my childish antics, I just waited for me to say something. _

_Shaking his head in disappointment, I saw his eyes soften as he lowered himself and became eye leveled with me. As I felt him pat my head, he softly smiled at me and said, "Kari, you should watch out where you're going." _

"_Gomen, aniki, but you were late; you didn't meet up with me near the lake, so I decided to come back and see if you got lost or something." I explained as I looked up at him. I could see that the stress from the beginning of his ninja training was getting to him and as I saw the exhaustion that was shown in his purple orbs, I hoped he was able to handle all of this. _

"_It was my fault, Hikari; I stayed back to train more. I'm sorry I made you worry." Akio said as he gradually lifted his own body up and rubbed some of his exhaustion form his eyes. _

"_Oh okay then; then we can go play now, can't we, Akio?" I asked as I looked at him with my pleading, green orbs. _

_Looking down at me, I felt Akio ruffle my white hair and I knew that was a signal that he was going to disappoint me again. _

"_Hikari, I'm sorry; I'm to tired right now to play with you, how about some other time okay?" my brother as he softly pet my head. _

"_You've always been saying that lately; it's like I'm a burden now. You never have time for me anymore." I said as I crossed my arms over my chest. _

_Lowering down once again to look me in the eyes, I saw Akio's purple eyes soften as he said, "Like I said, Hikari, I'm sorry. I'll hangout with you some other time. I've just been busy lately, but, I have something for you to keep you busy." _

"_Oh yeah….what would that be?" I asked as I waited for my brother to answer my question. _

_As I stood there as patiently as a five year old could, I saw my brother take out two items from behind his back. Looking curiously at the two items, I saw that they were both books of some sort and as I reached out to slowly grab the two, I felt Akio shove the two items into my awaiting arms. _

"_Here you go, Hikari. This is a reading book for you to read when I'm not there; it's actually one of my favorite stories about a young man who saves the ones he loves. And this here is a sketchbook that you can draw in." He explained as he pointed to both items that I was now holding. _

"_Arigatou, Akio-kun. But why are you giving me these?" I asked as I clutched the two precious items near my chest. _

"_It's just something for you to do when I'm not there; I'm not going to lie to you, Hikari; I'm probably going to be extremely busy and when I'm not there, you can always find things to do on your own." Akio said as he slowly took my hand in his and led me down the hallway. _

_As we both walked side by side, I turned up to look at him and quickly asked, "But when you aren't busy, aniki, will you play with me then?" _

_Looking down at me once more, I saw Akio nod his head in determination and look at me with his determined, purple gaze as he said, "Of course, Hikari. I promise." _

_End of flashback. _

I guess you could say that it was originally Akio who got me started with drawing and reading and finding things to do when I was alone while he was always too busy with his ninja training to play with me. But who could blame him? He was always busy because he was going to be the best shinobi out there one day, and I know I'd be the proud sister of that shinobi. Akio knew where he wanted his life to go, but as me, let's just say I never knew where my life was going to take me.

I guess I was never passionate about something or anything for that matter; I just moved through life step by step and took on whatever life had in store for me, but maybe it was my time to decide what I wanted.

I was still caught up in my own reminisces of the past and as I continued to look through each picture, I had completely lost track of time. By the time I finished with my own thoughts of my childhood, I realized that the sun was about to set and as I looked towards the horizon, I knew I needed to rush back home before dinner would be served.

I hastily packed up my art supplies and as I clutched my sketchbook closer to me, I quickly made my way out of the meadow and towards my home.

Once I was out of the meadow, I was calmly making my way through the forest as I observed the different plants and trees that now surrounded me. The sun hadn't set yet and as I looked up at the beautiful sky that was now shaded with different shades of pink and orange, I had made it through most of the forest.

The green treetops no longer blocked my sight of most of the sky and as I looked up at the beautiful colors that now painted it, my brow furrowed as I saw some sort of gray color in the sky.

With that strange color in the sky, I quickened my pace, hoping that it wasn't what I thought it was; my heart was pounding so loudly in my chest that I could hear it and as I felt my feet drag my body closer and closer to my home, I skidded to a stop.

I had finally arrived at my destination and as I closed my eyes, not wanting to look what was before me, I knew what I was about to see. I could smell the ashes that were now littering the ground and as I heard several of the people's screams fill my ears, I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes.

At the moment, all I wanted was for all of this to disappear because I didn't want my nightmare to come true; all I wanted was to go back to that meadow and reminisce in my own memories, but that wasn't going to happen. And the faster I faced this, the better.

So summoning up the courage I had in me, I slowly opened my green orbs to the scene; it was just like my nightmare and as I watched it all unfold, my mind went into overdrive as I stood frozen to my spot.

A huge fire was making its way through the village and as I watched several people cough and run away from the flames, I could see the fear that was evident in their eyes.

I didn't know what was happening and I truly was scared and panicking inside; I didn't know what to do as I saw several people run around the village in fear, screaming out cries of help and as I tried to comprehend what was happening, I didn't know what I was going to do.

I had no control over the situation, and that was truly the scariest thing; everyone knows that without control, you could start to go insane and panic on the inside and that was what was happening to me. I always found that I had some sort of control over different situations or problems I got myself into, but when you reach a point where you can't do anything, that's the thing that scares you the most. It's that absence of power and control that causes you to lose that feeling of security and assurance that you desperately want.

I still remained in my spot and I had no idea what I was waiting for; maybe I was waiting for a sign from someone or some sort of information that could tell me what was happening. But for whatever reason why I remained there, I waited for a few more seconds until I my body moved on its own.

My mind was frozen and I had no idea where my own body was taking me, but I was in on the ride whether I liked it or not. I felt completely in a daze or in some dream-like state as I tried to process in my mind what I was seeing.

I saw the fire spread to different homes and as I took in the sight of the huge amounts of smoke that were building up and the amount of yelling and screaming that was going on, none of that seemed to affect me. It was as if I was in denial; a denial that caused me to ignore everything around me and as it tried to put my mind into a peaceful place, it wasn't working at all.

I finally arrived at my destination when my feet finally stopped and allowed my body to rest; I didn't know how long I was running for or where I was now since everything around the place seemed bare and bleak and unrecognizable. Scanning over the area, the only thing I recognized were the ashes that surrounded the place and as I looked around to try to figure out where my body had led me, my eyes widened in horror as I realized where I was.

I was now standing in front of my burned down home; there was no mistaking it, just the mere location and the large amount of ash that now substituted for the actual household only further proved to me that my home was gone.

At that moment, I didn't know how to feel; I felt numb and lost and as I allowed myself to fall to my knees onto the ash-ridden floor, I finally let all my emotions out. I felt tears slowly prick out from their hiding places and as I let them fall to the ground, nothing felt like it mattered anymore.

I started to pound my fists into the ground that stood before my home and as I allowed more tears to spill and a painful scream to erupt from my mouth, I felt hopeless, as though there was no silver lining for me now.

My own tears blinded me from seeing anything and as I stayed in my same position for who knows for how long, I didn't really care to pay attention to my surroundings.

I hesitantly picked up a few pieces of stray ash and as I carefully moved the dust in my palm, I felt some of it slowly blow away as the wind picked it up. It was a sign that things don't always last; nothing can ever become eternal and live forever because it's just the cycle of life we all go through. We're all born and live for a purpose, and I guess when we serve that purpose, we eventually die out and start all over again; at least that's what I'd like to think when I see something so devastating like this.

I was still trying to recover from the mere shock of what I had seen and as I tried to recover my own mind and thoughts, I still continued to let my tears fall. I wasn't completely aware of my surroundings and as I felt someone harshly grasp my hair and pull my head back, I couldn't fully comprehend what was going on.

More tears only continued to fall from my eyes and as I felt a sword being held before my throat, there was now only another reason to cry; I cried because I was devastated, but now I was also crying because of fear.

I was scared; I saw my whole life flash before my eyes and as I turned to see who my attacker was, I realized that it was one of the men I had confronted a few weeks ago. He was smirking down at me and as I saw the murderous look in his brown eyes, I didn't bother to put up a fight.

No one was going to come and save me because I was truly alone; I didn't have anything or anyone to live for except for myself, but what's the point of living when everyone's been taken away from you? Where do you go when you've realized you don't have a home?

So as I stood there frozen once again, I just waited for the shinobi to end all of this; I didn't need to suffer any longer and as I waited for the finishing blow, I closed my eyes.

The problem was it never came; as soon as I had shut my green eyes, I heard metal hit metal and as they both seemed to cancel each other out, I was released from my attacker's grip and fell to the ground.

As I managed to catch myself by propping my hands before I fully fell onto the ground, I looked up just in time to see my savior.

My eyes widened in shock once more and as I took in the appearance of jet black hair and piercing purple eyes, I knew that Akio was standing before me. I couldn't believe that he was still alive and as I watched him hold his katana up high, his back soon was facing me.

Despite how I couldn't really make out what was going on, I saw a stern look being placed on his face and as he faced off against my attacker, I felt the tension in the air quickly rise. I knew that a deadly battle was about to take place and as I slowly got up back onto my own feet, I couldn't help but feel afraid for my brother.

As I turned my gaze back to my attacker, something about him just made my skin crawl and despite how I lacked talent in deciphering large chakra signatures, I could even tell that he was strong. His chakra was immensely strong and as it spiked up every couple of seconds, my heart skipped a beat each time I felt it. I knew that Akio must have felt it too and he probably knew what he was getting himself into as well.

I was shaking inside as I realized my brother would have to face him and as I saw more people enter the area, we were both now surrounded by even more shinobi.

I slowly backed up until my own back hit the back of my brother and as we both stood back to back from each other, I heard my brother take out another weapon. As I felt a tap on my shoulder, I slightly jumped from surprise as I felt the metal-like object be pushed into my own grasp.

Looking up at my brother with shock in my green eyes, I could never remember a time when Akio would let me hold a weapon because whenever I got the chance, I always managed to hurt myself and now that we both were standing here together being surrounded by several shinobi, I guess we both weren't going down without a fight.

I could read in his purple orbs that he wanted me to be safe and as I felt the cold-metal hit my skin, I was shaking in my own shoes as I grasped the weapon in my hands; I didn't like the feeling of holding a weapon that could potentially kill someone and as I was about to back down from the chance of being a kunoichi for a day, my brother quickly got close enough to me to whisper in my ear.

"Hikari, when I give you the signal, you make a run for it. Don't look back; just run."

Widening my eyes once more and trying to conceal my shock, I couldn't believe what I had just heard; I couldn't possibly leave my brother behind and as I took awhile to digest what he had just told me, I shook my head in refusal as I noticed that Akio was waiting for my answer.

"Akio…I-I can't just leave you here by yourself; if you're fighting against them, then I'm going to too."

"No! You have to go! I won't let you get hurt! You barely know how to fight, Hikari and if you stay here, you'll surely get killed. You'll be safer out there."

"B-but, Akio-"

"But nothing, Hikari! This is a serious situation so let me take the lead! Like I said, when I give you the signal, you run as fast as you can from here and make sure not to look back." My brother exclaimed as he turned towards me. I never had Akio explode at me like that and as I was once again at a loss for words, I slowly nodded at him as I let some tears fall from my eyes.

As Akio quickly wiped those tears away from me and looked me straight in the eye, he touched my cheek and gave me a kiss on my forehead as he quietly whispered, "Don't worry, Hikari, I'll find you and we'll meet up with each other soon. I told you that I would never leave you alone and that's a promise." He had said as he slowly held his pinky out; as both our fingers intertwined, I nodded and stopped my flow of tears.

"Now you have to go, alright?" my older brother softly said as I watched his eyes reflect the hurt he was feeling as he was about to let me go.

I nodded in response to his question and as I felt something else being shoved into my hands, I saw Akio quickly take out a smoke bomb before quickly setting it off. As I felt my vision slowly become cloudy, I couldn't tell where I was going as I quickly fled from the area.

I felt my heart pounding inside my chest and as I continued running away from the scene, all I knew was that I was leaving my brother behind and I truly hoped I would see him again.

* * *

It felt like I was running for my life; I was running to who knows where, but I didn't dare to look back as I still felt the blazing heat of the flames eat up my home. At the moment, I didn't know what to feel as I allowed my feet to pound harshly against the dirt ground and as I continued on my way, I prayed in my head hoping that my brother would come out safe.

He never broke a pinky promise and despite how I slightly doubted he would come out unharmed, I couldn't let my own intuition tell me that; my brother was always there for me and just like he said, we'd meet up later.

So as I continued running on the path until my feet became numb, I had no idea where I was because all I knew was that I was running away from something in the middle of the night, and I somehow hoped that someone would come and help me.

I was lost; both mentally and literally and as I tried to think of a plan in my head, I found that I couldn't think clearly as all the anxiety soon caught up to me.

I stopped in my own tracks as I took some time to take a break and catch my own breath. I felt my body slowly fall down and as I fell down to my knees, I used the palm of my hands to keep me from falling fully to the ground.

I felt nearly sick to my stomach as I thought about what I had just seen; it was as though my head was spinning too fast for my own orbs and as my vision began to slowly fade away, that was then when I fully fell down into the dirt.

I looked at the kunai knife and the other object that I held in my hands and as I saw through my blurry vision that it was a necklace, I tried to scream out in agony as I let some of my emotions out.

I didn't know what to do anymore and at that moment, I let all my emotions out as I began to let tears fall from my orbs; all the pent up frustration, and fear caused me to be at a loss of words for my situation and to top it all off, I was now lost and I had no home. All I was now was someone who needed help, someone who was alone and just wanted to be embraced and as I let my own arms circle around my own body, I remained lying on the ground as I let the tears fall.

My green eyes became clouded by my tears and as I looked up at the full moon that was now looking down upon me, it only seemed to taunt me even more; I never thought about it, but the moon always has a place in the sky and always has a home, but as for me, I didn't have a home or a place to belong to anymore. I was alone, while the moon was surrounded by all the stars in the sky.

Truth was I lost mostly everything in my life; my family, my friends, my home, so what did I have to return to? Nothing, except my brother, and I wasn't even sure anymore that he'd make it through.

We always find that nightmares are the things that scare us the most, but I've found that reality is much more threatening. Bad dreams are merely fake portrayals of bad incidents, yet in reality, when misfortune falls on you, it actually happens and you can't erase it. Sometimes when bad things happen, all you want to do is wake up from this bad nightmare, but you later find out that that nightmare is your life, and that's when you truly wish you were asleep.

To survive is to prosper; to give up and lose all hope is to be forgotten, at least that's what I thought until I finally blacked out.

* * *

**And with that last thought, I'll leave you guys at that. **

**I do have to say that I found this chapter a little hard to write because of what actually takes place and I actually had trouble wording this whole incident especially through Hikari's point of view because I had to imagine myself in her shoes. **

**Until I update again, please review and I will try my best to get the next chapter out shortly. **

**Ja ne!**

**-Katara **


	6. Chapter 6: Holding Out For a Hero

**Sorry for the late update! I've been busy with adjusting to school life and the homework load, well technically, all the work I have to do, but I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and I just want you guys to know that chapter 7 is already in the works. **

**Please review, cause reviews are what make me a better writer and they are great sources of encouragement. **

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Chapter 6: Holding Out for A Hero

A hero is someone who stands by your side, who's always there for you and helps you get through those hardships, and my hero, was my brother.

He told me he'd be there for me forever; he promised that he'd never leave me behind. And most importantly, he promised that he'd protect me from the things that scared me the most.

As a child, my brother was always there for me to take the blows that I couldn't bare to handle and I admired him for it. For his courage, for his stubbornness to continue to protect those who were precious to him, and I always thought I wanted to be like him someday. That maybe one day, I could help him and repay him back for all the things he'd done for me.

He was the only person who understood who I was and who I wanted to be; he knew how much I wanted to break away from what was expected of me and form my own path of doing things. And that's what was different about Akio.

He never judged me; he always listened; and best of all, he accepted me for who I was, not the person that people were trying to make me become.

I hated him for that; I hated the fact that he cared so much for me and was always there for me. I detested how much he showed so much passion in protecting me and understanding me because he left me here, alone.

It wasn't supposed to end up like this; Akio was always supposed to be here, standing beside me and talking and ruffling my snow white hair as I annoyingly would try to shake him off.

I could never say I was disappointed in him; every moment he got, he only made me more proud as I watched him change and grow into a strong person.

The only thing I could say I was disappointed in was that he broke a promise; a vow that he'd be there for me when I needed him most.

The love from a brother can never be replaced, or from any sibling or family member for that matter. It's irreplaceable and no matter how much you try to search for that love again, you won't find it in anyone else.

And that's what hurt most, that there was no one in the world that could even come close to my brother or replace him in any respect. It hurt that he wasn't going to be there for me; it pained me to realize that he wouldn't be there to see me change and grow up into a mature person and see my progress. And as I now clutched onto the necklace around my neck that he had given to me, I knew that he wouldn't be there to correct me when I did wrong and to guide me to the direction I wanted to take.

When you lose someone that makes up most of your life, you feel broken, as if your heart broke into a million pieces and becomes too hard to repair. It's actually heartache that you feel inside your chest that keeps bubbling on the inside and building up, until you can't take it anymore, because the pain, more than anything, is what becomes unbearable.

* * *

No one really believes in bad luck, but when something like this happens, you start believing in it yourself. I never knew my life could change in just a few weeks and while it just started out with a simple arranged marriage to a loss of a family, I didn't know if I could take it anymore. Pain is too much to handle, especially pain that's dealt in loneliness.

No one likes or enjoys being alone and I never thought I'd be in this type of situation where I was alone; I felt lost, like some poor, abandoned puppy who had nowhere to go but to travel around the world alone.

I had become immune to my own tears and as I saw more and more still continue to fall from my eyes, I realized that I couldn't just move on. I was looking back every second I got as I moved further and further from my home.

Even after a few hours of traveling, I could still see the apparent grey smoke rise up from the treetops, upward towards the sky. The grey smoke reminded me too much of what had just happened and all I wanted was to find some comfort; I didn't need all of this and I never asked any of this to happen, but I didn't know what to do anymore.

I wasn't going to find the same people I had grown up with my whole life and while I continued walking through the forest, I felt helpless. I had no idea where I was headed off to and despite how I tended to let life lead me wherever it wanted to take me, I wasn't too sure about that anymore.

I felt lifeless now, as if I was a walking ghost just in human flesh and as my body instinctively lead my feet along the dirt path, I didn't care to observe my surroundings; all I was focused on was watching my feet slowly move my body forward and despite how dirty my appearance was, I didn't care anymore.

It was hopeless now; I knew I was already far away from home and the fact that I had no idea where I was headed too only made me feel worse in my own predicament.

But I tried to not let that get to me too much and as I stubbornly trudged on, I heard a rustle in the bushes and at that moment, I froze in fear.

It was the fear of death; more than anything, I didn't want to experience the same pain my family and village had gone through, and as I stood there as still as I could be, I waited patiently for what was going to happen.

I didn't know if I was ready to face on the enemy and as I calmed my mind down and waited for whatever was going to come out of the bushes, I tightly held onto my kunai knife in my left hand until I nearly saw my knuckles turn white.

The suspense was nearly killing me and as I almost lost it right there, I let out a sigh of relief as I saw a small, brown rabbit come out and hop past me.

Wiping sweat that had come from my brow and loosening my grip on my weapon, I calmly stood in my spot and silently laughed at my own fear of a small rabbit.

I guess luck was still on my side and as I continued to think of this incident over and over again, I think I was able to give myself a small smile and even laugh a little as I continued on.

But I guess just as good luck is given to you, it can also be taken away because a few moments later, I saw a huge shadow tower over me and before you knew it, I felt a harsh tap on my back and then, I felt my body slowly close down, not only from the journey I'd had, but also from a hit to my pressure point. And just like that, I felt my body slowly begin to fall, and I couldn't remember anything after that because I completely blacked out.

* * *

The next moment, I found myself slowly regaining consciousness; I didn't know how long I was out for, but as I felt my heavy eyes slowly open, I saw that the room I was in was barely lit. There was only a few candles lighting the whole area and as I suddenly regained my body's senses back, I felt a strange feeling of being suspended in the air.

As I turned my head to see what was the cause of my discomfort, I realized that I was being restrained by metal chains; my arms being held in place and as I felt my own body hover over the stone ground, I was beyond confused.

The last thing I remembered was that I was in the forest, and then it became all blank from there.

It took me a few moments to come to the conclusion that I had come to and as I silently panicked in my mind, I knew that I was headed for trouble. And as I pondered over what would happen to me, it only made me want to struggle against my restraints as I attempted to pull my arms and legs off the wall.

But no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't find enough strength to fight back; the energy I had used in my journey took a lot out of me and as I used the last of my strength to try to free myself, it was useless.

I ran out of energy, and that meant, that I was a prisoner.

I was now like a caged bird that would never see the light of day, and it was hopeless now.

I stopped my actions and was breathing heavily from exerting so much of my energy and as I just turned my gaze to the hard, stone floor, all I wanted was some answers.

I didn't understand how things could've been taken this far; I had no one to help me because I was alone.

Alone; in this desolate place and as my nose caught the stench of something metallic and horrible, I knew the scent was blood.

The smell only further reminded me of how much blood I had seen that day and as I quivered in fear from the small amount of blood near my feet, I was sure to back as far away as possible from it.

The smell almost caused me to puke and as I tried to hold everything in, my vision started to blur as I continued to have a hard time adapting to such a foul-smelling place.

The stench was truly unbearable, but as I tried to focus on other things on my mind, I tried to look for a way out.

There had to be some sort of escape or an exit and I was determined to find it. There was no way I was going to wait here for whoever was coming for me and as I quickly scanned the area with my green orbs, the only chance I had to escape was first getting my restraints off, and that wasn't happening anytime soon.

* * *

It could've been a few hours or maybe a few days, (I wasn't sure anymore), before I actually saw a human face. I continued to stay in my same position for a long time and as I began to feel the numbing pain hit all my limbs, my body limply stood in its place.

My head was still turned towards the ground and as I continued to stare at the many cracks and tiles of the stone floor, I was waiting for any small movements or voices to come into my cell.

I could've sworn I heard some footsteps nearby; they felt like the type of steps that a strong, authoritative person would take as I heard the footsteps silently echo against the walls, they suddenly stopped.

I had no realization that my breath was slowly hitching in pitch as I heavily inhaled and exhaled from my own anxiety; the truth was that I was scared. This person already terrified me and I haven't even met the person yet. But I could tell from the footsteps that this person was strong and possibly cruel or sinister.

And if I had to face this person alone, I wasn't too sure that I would live up to my own expectations.

More than anything I'd want to live up to my own expectations, but the fear that was spreading throughout my body was only causing me to almost start into a panic attack. I felt my heart pounding heavily inside my chest and as I took deep breaths to calm myself down, I managed to almost return back to normal.

Akio always told me to never show fear or weakness in times of dire situations because you can never let the enemy know your every emotions. But that was a shinobi's way of dealing with things. What happens if you've never even encountered something like this? What if you were just some common civilian that was just caught up in some bad luck?

I guess I was in that type of situation and as I waited for any sign of human existence, I heard a large door echo its sound throughout the hallway, before finally slamming back to its original place.

The echoes were loud and intimidating enough to make me instinctively shiver from the mere sight of what or who I was going to see. I had closed my orbs the second I heard the loud sound and as I slowly opened them, I couldn't make out the person standing before me.

I tried squinting my eyes to make out the appearance of the person before me more clearly and as I had a slight glance of the person's shadow, I could tell that the person's body was a built of a man. But before I could get a definite view of the person,I was blindfolded. The piece of cloth was rapidly pulled over my green orbs and as I became indifferent with my own circumstances, I quickly felt the person unlocking my chains.

As I felt my bare feet hit the hard, stone floor, my capturer roughly pushed me forward as he lead me towards who knows; as far as I was concerned, I didn't know where I was going, but I was at least glad that that foul stench was gone from my senses.

At first, my limbs had trouble cooperating with my movements as they stubbornly rejected even the smallest movements I made, but as the male behind me kept pushing me forward, my body was forced to move on its own accord despite its own scream of refusal.

I listened to the footsteps behind me as they continued to meet up with my own steps and as I heard him sighing behind me, I guess I was walking too slow for his liking as he quickly came up beside me, grabbed me by the arm and dragged me throughout the rest of the way.

We were making so many turns as we continued to walk that I began to feel slightly dizzy; it was as though my head was spinning on its own accord and as I felt myself slightly lose my own balance, I tried to pick myself up before I would fall to the ground.

I managed to hold all the contents in my stomach in, but the queasy feeling continued to stay with me as I felt my capturer harshly push me into a room and rapidly close the door.

I had fallen onto my knees from the forceful push and as I slowly used the palm of my hands to pull myself up, I tried wiping off the dirt that would've gotten onto my clothes, (not like it mattered, considering that I was already a total mess), and quickly I felt my blindfold slowly be lifted from my eyes.

As the piece of cloth was now gone from my sight, my sensitive, green eyes slowly adjusted to the brightness of the room along with the amount of color that was present in it. The cell that I had stayed in was a bland, dark gray color, while this room held more color with dark red, black, and splashes of light gray as well. My orbs had a hard time adjusting for a few seconds and as I felt the light enter through my eyes, I took the time to observe my surroundings and I saw that I was in some sort of office space.

There was a large wooden desk a few feet away from me and as I felt several pairs of eyes silently turn their attention towards me, I felt a bit self-conscious. There were several large and scary-looking men that were in the room and as I scanned over everyone standing in front of me, my eyes came to focus on the man sitting in a chair behind the desk.

He was wearing some sort of grin on his face and as he propped his elbows up on his desk, I felt his eyes turn towards me as well. His dark hair was slicked back with tons of hair gel and no strand was out of place. He was also wearing a black suit and a tie and from his appearance, I'd conclude that he was a businessman of some sort. But considering that I was surrounded by thugs, I don't think he was the 'good' type of businessman.

Behind his suit, glasses, and professional appearance, something about the man was off to me; just the mere smirk and gaze that he held on me gave me the idea that he was a cruel person.

His appearance made my skin crawl from fear and as I tried to hide any type of weakness from showing on my face, I turned towards him and waited for any explanation that was going to come.

"It's nice of you to join us, Miss Tsutano." My eyes widened in shock as the man addressed me by my name and as I looked at him with a frightened gaze, I was quick to swallow and lick my dry lips before responding back.

"What do you want from me? I don't think there'd be any reason else why I'd be restrained by chains and kept in a cell."

"As impatient as ever, aren't you? Very well then, everything will become clear within time, Miss Tsutano…I've forgotten my manners actually, my name is Noroshi Ronin."

At the mention of that name, my eyes widened a second time as I began to shiver and realize that the man sitting before me was probably one of the most notorious businessman in the world. Even coming from a small town, I heard his name once before; he was most well known for taking over small towns and exploiting their own resources along with making slaves out of the people he controlled. He was called the demon in sheep's clothing because of his cruelty and while standing before him right now, I could tell behind his nice façade held a demeanor that could rival any demon.

Back at my old village, his name caused fear whenever it was mentioned because despite how we had a small group of shinobi, there was always that slight chance or possibility that he could take over our own town; but I didn't need to worry about that anymore because my home was gone, but for the moment, I was worried for my own well-being.

I couldn't lie to myself; I was afraid of death just like most people, but more than anything, I was scared of suffering. I didn't want to go through anymore hardships and just looking at the hidden cruelty behind his black orbs made me quiver on the inside.

One of the most powerful men was sitting before me and as I attempted to hold my head up high, I waited for anything he had left to say

"I suppose you're wondering why you're here, am I right?" he asked as I watched him slowly get out of his chair and stand before me.

I could see that he was about a few inches taller than me, so his size didn't really intimidate me, but because he was surrounded by such strong-looking men was what scared me more. But despite his height, I knew he held a lot of power; I knew that he controlled some large corporations and probably worked underground in the black market. From the amount of expensive things in his room and his appearance, he definitely had to have gotten his money from somewhere.

As I pondered all this new information in my mind, I slowly nodded my head at his question and as I watched him pace back and forth, he stopped before me and took a short pause before answering.

"I'd imagined now that you've known the outcome of your village; it was quite sad actually. I gave your father a choice to either give me the location of the Hero's Water or face the consequences and because he refused, you probably know how that story ends. I did warn him though, but I guess his stubbornness turned out to be his downfall." He said as he let out a chuckle.

It took every will of my being not to attack the man in front of me as he continued to smirk and wait for any reaction from me, but I wasn't willing to give him any sign of satisfaction. My nails were digging deeply into my palms and as my knuckles began to turn white from the amount of pressure I was applying to them, that was my only response. Despite how he was bad-mouthing my father's own choices, I couldn't let my anger take over me, so I continued to remain silent.

"So now, I turn to you to redeem your own father's decision; where's the Hero's Water?" he asked as he returned back to his seat and looked at me, waiting for an answer.

My throat dried up at that moment, and as I had trouble trying to form any words or even a sentence in my head, I remained silent; I truly didn't know where the Hero's Water was and as I stood before the man who was responsible for everything bad that had just happened to me, for my father's sake, even if I knew anything about it, I wouldn't say a word. The only thing I was sure about the Hero's Water was that it gives an enormous amount of power to whomever drinks it, for a price by lowering that person's life span, but other than that, I wasn't that well-informed.

"I-I don't know where it is." I replied.

Sighing at my response and pacing around the room as he held the bridge of his nose, Ronin was quick to stop before me once again and reply back with, "You're testing my patience, Hikari; all I need is to know where it is, and you can be free to go. Don't make the same mistakes as your father."

At that moment, his glare only intensified. I knew it was a warning and I could already tell that he was an impatient man from the start. From his posture and actions you could already tell that he wasn't the type of man who liked to wait. And I guess it was just more of my bad luck that I was stuck in this type of situation.

Taking a short pause and strengthening my own tone, I responded with, "I'm telling you, I don't know. If you wanted someone to tell you, I'm sorry, but you've got the wrong person."

"Why must you be so stubborn like your father? Why put yourself in such a difficult position even after your father and family are now gone?" he asked as he slammed one of his fists against his desk and continued to watch me carefully, waiting for my answer.

I only continued to hold my head up higher and said, "Because, I'm willing to hold up my father's choices up until the end; he may have made a couple of mistakes, but if he was smart enough to keep this secret from you, then so be it."

"I'm giving you a choice, Hikari; you will find that I can be a very humane person, but once my patience is lost, I'll resort to other ways to get the information I need to get out of you." He warned as he returned back to his seat and snapped his fingers.

From his threat, I turned to look towards the men that now stood beside either side of his desk; the first sight of them, I noticed their weapons, their sharp swords and I could tell that they weren't ordinary bodyguards. Their quick movements were what alerted me of this; I was certain that they were shinobi from their very posture and their speed. No ordinary person moves that fast, at least not one that I knew of.

The men that were now standing in front of me were more intimidating than their boss; their was no doubt about it that they were strong. I could tell from their chakra signatures that they had more than the average amount of chakra stored in their systems and that meant they'd ideally be strong. Along with that, if they were hired for this type of job, they had to have some great credentials to be responsible for this profession.

"Now, I'll ask you again, Hikari, where is it?"

His voice brought me out of my thoughts and as I noticed that it portrayed his own hidden frustration, I could tell that if I didn't give him the answer that he desired, I was going to be headed for trouble. But with either circumstance, I didn't have the answer, so there'd be no possibility for me to tell him the right answer.

"I-I don't know." I stated as I stood there, completely still.

"That's the wrong answer." He said as he narrowed his black orbs at me and snapped his fingers once more.

Before I knew it, I felt my body quickly hit the opposing wall as a punch had met my gut. As my back crashed into the solid backing, I was quick to clutch my stomach as I violently started coughing up some blood.

I had managed to fall to my knees and as I had trouble getting back up and breathing regularly, I felt another punch hit me as it connected with my jaw.

I had no time to recover from the previous hit and now that I had another one to deal with, I felt pain spread throughout my body. My stomach and jaw were throbbing from pain and as I felt someone grab me by my collar, I struggled in their grasp.

As I slowly opened my orbs, I saw one of the shinobi hold me up in the air and as I met up with his brown orbs, I saw Ronin come beside him as he asked me his question again.

"You should be ready to tell me now; now Hikari, where is the Hero's Water?"

Twitching one of my orbs as I felt the pain pass through my body again, I nodded my head no as a response to his question. As far as I was concerned, I didn't have anything else to lose because I had lost everything to this man already. And if I was going to stay here, I wasn't going down without a fight.

"Very well then, it's only going to get worse from here, Hikari." I heard him say as he nodded towards the man who was holding me up and as I watched him snap his fingers again, I felt my body be thrown harshly across the room.

My body hit the floor loudly and as I felt a slight crack, I knew one of my ribs was broken. The harsh impact I took was pretty ground-breaking and as I lay there, waiting for whatever else he had planned for me, I heard him turn towards both his shinobi as he gave them some orders.

"Do whatever you have to do to get the information out of her." He had said as I heard the door softly close, leaving me alone with the two shinobi.

* * *

I couldn't tell you what happened to me because frankly it would either be too gruesome to tell or it could be because I could hardly remember how many beatings I had to take before they stopped.

But as far as I was concerned, they weren't through with me yet and as I now lay on the wooden floor once more, I took notice that my torturers had left a few moments ago.

Relief would be an understatement of how I felt when I heard them leave and despite how I had gained new wounds and bruises on my body; I knew that this was just the beginning.

Ronin had returned back to his office after his shinobi left me, and as I still was lying on the ground, that man had entered through the door and acted as if nothing happened.

I could barely lift myself up and as I tried to see who else had entered with him, I just allowed my body to fall to the floor once again, just allowing my ears to listen to the conversation.

"Deidara, take her back to her cell." I heard Ronin order as he returned back to his work.

So they were done with me for the day, but despite how my torture session felt endless, I was satisfied with myself in a way; I didn't know how long I had been tortured for, but the many injuries that I had sustained and the bruises that now covered my ivory skin was further evidence that I was tortured for a long time.

From where I was, I couldn't tell who he was talking to. My vision was nearly blurring from blood loss and as I turned to see who he was gesturing too, I saw the familiar pattern of red clouds, and at that moment, my eyes widened in shock.

As my eyes traced the cloak's pattern, my gaze slowly came upon the wearer and at that instant, I thought I was seeing things.

The person that stood before me was surely the same man who had stayed at my home for two weeks; I would recognize that blonde hair and blue eye anywhere, and at that moment, my jaw dropped.

I was stuck in a daze as I silently watched the blonde nod and take me by the elbow as he led me out of the room. Our journey back to my cell was quiet because frankly, I didn't know what or how to feel towards this man.

Surely he wasn't working with them because he definitely didn't fit in with the physique of the other men, nor did he dress the same as them. But no matter what, I couldn't help but feel mad at the blonde man before me.

He didn't just lie about who he was, but as I connected the puzzle pieces together, everything made sense now; he was there two weeks prior to my town's massacre and that couldn't have been a coincidence.

Finally, it clicked in my head; he was the one behind my family's death and that's what angered me the most; not the fact that he lied, but because he was fooling everyone the whole entire time.

As this Deidara person continued to lead me down several hallways, I began to just glare at his blonde head and in my mind I just hoped he would die a horrible death or become bald for all I cared, because frankly, he didn't deserve my respect.

I knew that it was a bit childish to think that my own harsh glare would somehow get rid of him or cause his own death, but in my own moment of frustration and anger, I was just a bit stubborn and remained stuck in my childish ways.

He had suddenly stopped before a large door and as I continued on my way and managed to bump into him, my glare only intensified despite it being my own fault that I had bumped into him.

His back was still facing mine and as we both stood before the large, wooden door for quite some time, the dead silence of the hallway only made the situation more awkward.

I didn't understand why we were standing in the hall for such a long time and for a moment, the silence was getting to me; I could only stay quiet for a short amount of time and as we both stood there, I just decided to confront him.

"You're a liar. You lied about yourself." I had whispered.

I saw the blonde's blue eye widen at my statement and as he slightly turned around and looked over his shoulder, he gave me a smirk and shrugged his shoulders as he said, "I may be one, but it was all for a purpose un."

His statement only further angered me and as I rapidly pulled my elbow away from his grasp, I said "A-a job? A job to kill my whole family for what? You killed everyone and yet you stand before me as though you have no heart! What kind of person are you?"

"A criminal; you should get used to it, kiddo, un. Death happens all the time, it's nothing different." He responded back as he slowly turned his back towards me again and began to unlock the door before us.

But I wasn't going to let him get the last word in as I quickly grabbed the back of his cloak and held it in place, I wanted to make sure that I'd catch his attention and as I saw one of his blue orbs turn towards me, I quickly exclaimed, "I am not a child! I trusted you! I can't believe you out of all people! My own father let you and your partner into our home and that's the way you thank him? Killing everyone and not even feeling ashamed about it!"

"What's done is done, un. You can't change it. Besides you should be more worried about yourself, un." The blonde had said as he rapidly pushed me back into my cell and locked me up again.

I was surprised with his response, at how it lacked any sympathy for my situation and as I got back onto my feet and rapidly came to the bars of my cell, I watched the shadow of his figure disappear from my view and I realized that I was alone again.

I hadn't realized how much energy my yelling had taken out of me and the loss of blood wasn't helping with keeping me conscious, so as I now was leaning against the stone wall, I realized that Deidara hadn't locked me up back into my chains. It was probably because I was too weak in my current state to try to escape and as I continued to stay in my current spot, I tried to calm my own mind. But the only thoughts that came to were the thoughts of what was going to come next.

I was safe from Ronin's wrath for now, but for how long?

I knew he'd continue to ask me the same question over and over again, and if I stayed here, I'd be tortured for as long as I lived, and there was no way in hell that I was going to go down that road, so the only solution would be escape.

* * *

**A few days later:**

I had woken up, still severely bruised and sore, and as I adjusted my sitting position as to not put too much pressure on my broken rib, I had woken up to the same cage, like everyday.

The bars and floor were still the same, but as I saw some cracks in the walls, I noticed that some light was entering in through them. It was nice to see the place a little more bright than usual and as my green orbs adjusted to the new lighting, I tried to take my mind off from the pain.

It took a lot from me not to cry from the pain I had received yesterday and as I tried to move as little as possible to alleviate the pain, it was futile; even the small breathes I was taking was enough to make me tear up a bit and as I felt my stomach grumble, that was just another problem I had to add onto my list.

Looking around my cell, I wasn't going to find much nor was I going to find any food around here either.

I had been beaten senseless for about four days now and as I continued to feel the effects of each beating as I found new bruises and injuries on my body, things weren't looking too well for me.

The amount of blood I was losing on account of all the beatings wasn't doing wonders for my health and as I just sat there thinking of my future, it didn't look that great to me. The most likely scenario for me would be dying on the very spot I was sitting on now and as I continued to ponder these thoughts through my own mind, I heard an explosion not too far from where I was.

It was a loud noise and I could've sworn I heard several more footsteps enter into the building.

In an instant, something clicked in my mind; if there was this many people inside, then with the explosions, there had to be an invasion of some sort; that was the conclusion I drew from the situation and as I heard more small explosions bet set off, I heard a wall rapidly crumble into a thousand pieces.

The whole building was shaking and as I felt it continue to move, if that one wall was the main wall of the structure, then there was chance that the whole place would fall down.

I didn't know where I found the strength to stand up, but once the idea of escape came into my mind, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to take it; with all the confusion and distractions, this was my chance to get out of here.

At first as I pulled myself up and got onto my feet, I was still getting used to the feeling of walking (considering how long I was locked up for), and the whole shaking of the building wasn't helping my situation either. But as soon as I managed to stable myself, I felt the ceiling of my cell slowly break down.

There was tons of dust falling from above and as I tried my best to cover my nose and mouth from the amount of dust, I had trouble as I started to cough.

I was making my way towards the door to my cell and as I continued to cough, I knew that I had to get out of there quickly. If this invasion was real, they I'd have to hope that these people were skilled at what they do. If I was lucky, this situation would last long enough or longer for my own benefit.

I made finally made it to the door, but once I tried to pull on the bars, I had completely forgotten that it was locked.

This was just another roadblock in my situation and as I tried to look around for anything that could help me, I almost gave up until another idea clicked into my mind.

I wasn't sure that this would work, but in a situation like this, I was willing to try anything, so despite all the doubt I had held in my mind, I quickly took out a bobby pin from my hair and tried unlocking the lock with it.

Of course I had no idea what I was doing, but as I heard a soft click, I immediately stopped my actions and tried pulling at the door again.

I was holding my breath and as I felt the door move from the amount of force I put in, I was nearly ecstatic as the door opened and allowed me out of my cell; I was about to jump up and down over joy, but once I realized how much it hurt to even walk, I decided against it.

In the situation I was in right now, I'd rather save all the celebrating once I was out of this hellhole and as I quickly made my way through a hall, I tried my best to not let my numerous injuries slow me down.

Every now and then I needed to take some sort of break and catch my breath; the amount of pressure I was putting on my body wasn't suiting well, especially for my cracked rib and as I took another break, I stopped in my tracks and clutched onto my side.

I've never felt this much pain before and as the intensity only increased each time I tried to move or breath, I didn't want this one chance of escape to run away from me. This small obstacle in front of me wasn't going to hold me back, and I just told my body to continue on, despite the pain because freedom is worth. It's worth every shot you've got, and I learned that when I was stuck in my cell.

If you're caged in, it'll only make want to fight against everything and find a way out; that was what my situation was like. I didn't want to be stuck anymore, and maybe it was a sign that I couldn't, nor shouldn't be stuck in the past.

I had to admit, I cried so much that I didn't know if my eyes could ever produce tears again and I was still stuck to my past. I realized that and as I stopped in my own tracks, just before the exit of the building, I knew that a part of me had to let go.

I'd already gone through too much, but I wasn't sure if a part of me wanted to let go of something like this; it pained me to even think about it again, and I couldn't help but let more tears fall.

Everything that was happening around me didn't matter anymore because once I get out of here, I won't have anywhere else to turn to; I wouldn't have a home to go to, or people to come home to. And that thought was what haunted me the most.

For as long as I stood there, I thought over everything, from the time this first began and how it would end in both scenarios; something was holding me back, from just running out of here, and I think I figured out what it was.

It was because I was afraid of being alone; I've always have since the time I was a child. And maybe that's why I found comfort in being with the ones I loved because they kept me from being isolated.

That was what was keeping me from moving my feet and getting out of here and I just needed a small push to get my head out of the gutter.

I tightly held onto the very necklace on my neck, and as I looked down at the blue crystal, dangling from the silver chain, the thought of Akio came into my mind.

I knew for certain he'd want me to live on and let go so that I'd find closure and be happy. And maybe for once, I needed to listen to him and find my own way out, and that's exactly what I was planning to do.

As I felt another rush of determination glide through me, I wasn't afraid anymore to take that final step outside, and for once I was glad I did pushed past my own fears because that feeling of sunshine on yourself and the fresh breeze, was all worth it.

* * *

I felt my own bare feet hit the hard, dirt ground and all I wanted to do was continue to run and not look back. My heart was pounding and as I felt myself breath heavily in and out, I wasn't even going to slow down my pace.

I was stumbling a bit as I was running and I guess that happens because I hadn't run or walked for at least a few weeks; after being chained up against a wall and not being able to see the light a day for awhile really got to you, and as I managed to catch myself each time I almost fell, it felt nice and comforting to have the sunlight hit your skin.

The feeling of being free and outdoors was something I always took for granted and now that I was running for my life, I definitely was never going to take this for granted. We all don't realize how many things go unnoticed and unappreciated and we just need to take the time to realize what we really have in life. I guess if that whole experience being locked up in an underground prison taught me something, it was freedom is probably the most worthwhile thing you can find; you can gain all the materialistic possessions that you want in your life, but without freedom, what can you do?

Nothing because as a caged bird, you can't find happiness; you find that those bars that hold you back truly do restrain you and even though you continue to fight back to be liberated, you won't win. The only way you can be truly free is realizing that despite everything that has happened to you, you've managed to make it all the way to the end and maybe I was finally finding my ending.

I heard rustling throughout the forest and as I picked up some strong chakra signatures headed towards me, I knew I would be dead if I was caught; I could feel them speeding up and as if I had enough energy to increase my speed, it was as though I was easily gliding through the forest.

The many branches and leaves were quickly falling into my hair and causing small scratches on my skin, but as I took another quick turn around a bush, I felt my kimono catch onto a branch.

Not even realizing it until it was too late, I felt myself slowly fall down as I face planted my face onto the dirt ground; my kimono had snagged onto the wooden branch and despite its beauty and the expensive silk that it was made out of, I quickly ripped the piece of fabric away. It didn't matter to me what happened to this kimono because all I wanted to do was to get as far away from those people as possible. I needed to find help and as quickly as possible before they'd catch up.

Now I truly did know what fear was; it's that feeling you have when your life is in danger, where you really are panicking and you can't seem to find a time to calm down and think clearly. All you have is that fear that runs through your mind constantly, at a fast rate, and it consumes you. There's no question about it that it eats you up inside until you fall to it completely, and then that's where you lose hope.

But I didn't want to end up in that forsaken alley; I didn't plan to either and as I started up my own running pace again, my feet became numb again; it seemed like my body had become numb and indifferent about everything that was going on and as I ran as fast as possible as I heard more rustling around me, my heart skipped a beat.

I felt like I was some prey being hunted down by a hunter and as I continued to be at a disadvantage as I drove myself further and further into the lush, green forest, I hoped that this would end in my favor.

My hair was tangled in my face and as I tried to brush the few strands away from my vision, I hastily made my way through the forest as I jumped over a small bush; just skidding past a small flowing river, I heard the splashing noise behind me as I quickly made my way out of the water and continued running.

* * *

**A few hours later:**

I knew I told myself that I wasn't going to look back, but just the mere thought that the rustling and their movements had stopped caused me to become curious. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to them as I felt their chakra signatures slowly become faint and as I slowed down my pace, my heart was still pounding within my chest.

Looking back just to see if they had caught up or were just hiding somewhere in the bushes, my green orbs scanned the area behind me and found no presences nearby. And just when I thought the coast was clear, I quickly turned my gaze back forward and as I started up with a somewhat fast pace, I nearly stumbled into something solid.

My body slowly fell to the ground and despite how I tried to catch myself before I'd fall on my bottom, all those attempts had nearly failed as I was now sitting down on the dirt floor and looking up at what or who I had bumped into.

At first my eyes couldn't make out what I had crashed into, but as the sun slowly disappeared from my vision, my green orbs widened in shock as I saw who was now standing before me. And for a moment, I thought it was just impossible.

"_Hikari_?"

Sometimes life gives you curveballs that you don't expect and despite how hard you try to avoid those obstacles, they always seem to catch up to you and whether you have bad luck or good luck, you're bound to get both.

Or maybe, just maybe, someone out there in the world just hated me and wanted me to suffer.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked the chapter and loved or or hated it, please review! **

**I'm sorry that it was such a late update, but as for right now, I'm just going to say updates may be slow, but please be patient with me and I'll make sure you don't regret it. I hope all of you guys continue to read this story. **

**The reason being why this chapter was late was because I didn't want to make Hikari seem too sad or depressed over what happened, and I'm hoping that I managed to find a balance in between. So I hope I was able to do that. **

**Other than that, let's make these reviews a little fun and in your review (after your comments and such), tell me who you think Hikari bumped into? **

**Please remember to review and until next time! **

**-Katara**


	7. Chapter 7: Time Will Heal Your Wounds

**Here's to another chapter! Thank you for those of you who have continued to review and I'd love to thank those who have favorited this story! Thanks to icyprincess1 and Alice Mori for their reviews since the very beginning! Thanks so much! Special thanks to Pugy the Fluffy who favorited this story; it means a lot and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :) It means a lot to me to see that so many people are interested in my writing and this story. **

**Well, here's another chapter to I'll Wait For You! Enjoy! And remember to review please! **

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Chapter 7: Time Will Heal Your Wounds

"Hikari?" the familiar voice asked as I sat frozen on the ground.

I didn't know how to respond and as I remained speechless, I didn't know if this was real or just a figment of my imagination.

My body wouldn't move accordingly to my own thoughts and as I sat there pondering whether this was real, a part of me was afraid that all of this was just a mirage; a mirage that my mind was just conjuring up to keep me calm, so I didn't dare look up. I was afraid that if I even tried to take a look at the person above me, that he'd disappear and then I'd end up alone once more and I couldn't handle that in the state of mind I was currently in.

It felt like I was sitting in the same spot for an eternity and as I saw the person make a move towards me, I didn't know whether to feel glad or upset; maybe my mind was playing games with me and just trying to get my hopes up, but a part of me told me to get up and face the music. If this was actually a mirage, then I'd face it head on.

My gaze was wavering and as I felt my green orbs slowly make their way upwards from the ground, I slowly looked up at the person standing before me and I couldn't help but let tears fall as I saw one familiar face; I was breaking down because of all the stress I've been through and just by seeing this one nice and comforting person was all I needed at the moment.

It was the same face I saw long ago with his concerning blue eyes and dark hair and as my eyes met his, I couldn't help but get up and embrace him.

I ran as fast as I could until I felt my arms connect with his body and I balled right then and there; I was holding onto him for dear life and the fact that he was an actual solid being was what caused me to continue to cry.

A few moments later, I felt his arms circle around me; now I knew he was real and as I felt him rub soothing circles on my back and whisper in my ear that 'everything was going to be all right,' I felt secure, but a small part of me was telling me that nothing could ever be the same again.

At least now I knew I wasn't alone and as I felt Makoto slowly carry me through the rest of the way, I was content with just laying there in his arms as I nestled up in his chest. It was the best feeling in the world at the moment to be protected by someone else and as I let my tears dry up, I took the time to settle my own mind and just take in my own surroundings.

The forest was green in color, just like any normal forest, and as I saw the several trees that now surrounded us, I knew that I was a long way from the Hidden Waterfall Village; back at my old home, we usually didn't have such a dull green color in our plants. Our plants tended to be more lively and full of bright colors, reflecting just how strong water played a part in our town, and as I looked at my own surroundings, I had a feeling that we were near Makoto's own home.

I felt a frigid wind pass through me and as I shivered, trying to warm up my body, I only snuggled closer to his chest; the climate was nothing like my home's naturally warm temperatures, and as we continued our way, it began to get harder to see.

There was a lot of mist covering most of the way and as we traveled deeper into the foreign territory, I could barely make out anything through the thick fog. I saw snippets of greens and blues, but that was all I could see.

I had no idea how Makoto was making his way through and as I gazed up and saw his calm stature, it was as if this blind walk was second nature to him.

Raising my own gaze to look at him again, it looked like he was just a on a mission due to the clothes that now adorned his body and although it was strange to see him in the middle of the forest, I guess maybe my own luck was turning around. Maybe I was finding a silver lining through all of this; but no matter what it was, I was just glad to be in the comfort of someone I knew.

I wasn't going to end up alone like I had thought, and that was the comforting feeling that I felt as I slowly drifted off to sleep in his arms.

* * *

**A day later**:

My green orbs slowly opened and as they met up with the dull blue color of the room's walls, I had almost forgotten that I had arrived in the Hidden Mist Village late last night.

The room was foreign to me and it didn't feel as inviting as I needed it to be; it was organized and well kept and it seemed like the room had no personality along with appearing as though no one had even lived it.

I realized that I woke up pretty early because the sun's rays were just peeking through the horizon, but unlike any other day, I had woken up feeling empty inside; all of yesterday's events were going through my mind and as I sat up in the bed, I hadn't realized how much I had cried until I felt my eyes sting from blinking.

From what happened yesterday, I didn't want to move or get out of bed; all I wanted to do was just think over what I was planning or going to do with my life at the moment and as of right now, I was drawing a blank.

I had told Makoto everything that had happened to me and despite how he tried to comfort me and reassure me that I'd be fine now, I didn't know if I could believe him.

It's funny how one moment in your life could change your whole outlook in just one cruel swoop of fate and as I continued sitting there, I just reveled in the moment of how carefree and happy I was a few days before and now, look at where I was. Fate has a cruel way of hurting people and it doesn't discriminate because it doesn't care who it hurts in the process.

And maybe it wasn't unfair to me; someone else out there could be having a much worse time out there than me, and who was I to just sit here and complain about my situation? It was true, I couldn't be as happy as I would like, but I guess that shouldn't stop me from trying, and I think that small glimmer of hope was just what I needed to slowly lift myself out of bed.

My feet touched the cold, wooden floor and as I forced myself to hold my head high and head towards the bathroom to get ready for the new day, I guess I was ready to face my new surroundings.

I quickly entered the bathroom and as I took some time to observe the bland white walls and lack of decorations, I made my way over to the sink and washed my face.

I felt all the dirt and grime come off my ivory skin and as I finished, I was sure to take a look at the mirror.

I could see my disheveled appearance, at how messy and unkempt my white hair was and how I could clearly see little bits and pieces of dirt stuck in my hair. I could tell that I really needed a shower by my own appearance and my stench; no offense to myself, but I even had to admit that I could barely stand my own smell, let alone I began to even ponder how Makoto managed to carry me through the whole way as I smelled like some skunk.

As I took another look around the bathroom, my eyes quickly caught onto the sight of some clothes, a towel, and a note lying on the counter.

Stepping closer to the items, I saw that the note had my name on it and as I scanned over its contents, I found it endearing that Makoto was kind enough to do small gestures like this for me.

_Hikari, _

_I'd imagine you'd want a bath after what you've been through, so here are some clothes and be free to use the bath to clean yourself up. _

_Sincerely, _

_Makoto_

I smiled at that; it was nice to know that someone was so willing to care for you and as I turned on the water to the shower, I felt myself slowly form an actual smile on my face.

I hadn't actually smiled for awhile and the fact that something this small could make me happy, maybe I had a chance I finding a new life here.

As I tested the water's temperature, I noticed that it was warm enough to get in, so as I quickly got out of my clothes and tossed them to the side, I embraced the warm water as it touched my skin.

The water felt nice against my touch and as I grabbed a soap bar and began to wash away all the dirt from my body, I began to feel more clean and refreshed.

Last but not least, I quickly put enough shampoo in my palm to lather in my hair and as I felt all the dirt disappear from it as well, I quickly rinsed out the soap and took in the scent of cherry blossoms as I finished up.

Once all the soap was rinsed out of my hair, I rapidly got out from the shower, turned off the water, and wrapped the towel around my body.

I shivered as my cool air hit my skin and as I felt several goose bumps form on the surface of my skin, I was quick to dry myself off and get dressed.

The outfit that was laid out before me was pretty simple; it was a regular spring dress colored in a deep blue and as I put it on and quickly dried my wet head of hair, I exited from the bathroom feeling better about myself.

A nice shower could always do wonders for me, and as I returned back to my seat on the bed, I took in the nice, calm serenity of the silence and closed my eyes as I inhaled and exhaled; it was peaceful to say the least and it was just nice to feel like I was away from everything because that's all I wanted; I just wanted to feel free from all the bad and all the suffering I had to overcome.

It was nice to be in a meditated state and as I sat there, just trying to have nice thoughts pass through my mind, for once, I could find myself feel relaxed and carefree.

As I remained where I was and reveled in the silence, my own world was interrupted as I heard a knock at my door.

My orbs swiftly opened and as I felt my mind return back to reality, there wasn't much peace to revel in as I watched the silver doorknob turn.

As I sat, waiting for the person to enter, I heard the soft sound of the door opening and revealing my dark-haired savior, Makoto.

It seemed like he was up all night as I observed his slightly baggy eyes, but as he entered into the room, his footsteps were different; stronger and seemingly more serious in nature, and that caught me off guard because I had a feeling that something was wrong.

He hadn't said a word to me since he entered nor did he attempt to look me in the eyes and as I watched him carefully, I saw him cause a dip in the bed as he slowly sat down on the edge.

Makoto was keeping his distance from me for some reason and as I made my move to get closer to him, he only inconspicuously tried to move a bit further away, but I didn't let him because I quickly grabbed his hand in mine.

He seemed to be hard at thought about something and as he continued to peer off into the distance, I was anxious to know what had happened. If it was something good, then that would bring my whole world around, but if he was acting this way, it was probably something bad, but the question was, did I want to know about it?

I froze right then and there because I couldn't answer the question myself; I felt my body shaking as I thought about what it could be and as it felt like an eternity before I made up my mind, I decided that knowing was better than not knowing.

At that moment, I decided to take action and as I grabbed his chin and turned his face towards mine, I looked into his deep, blue eyes with my determined green orbs and waited for him to say something.

For awhile, I didn't know how long we stood like that and as an awkward silence passed through the room, I felt him slowly reach out towards me and hold my hand in his.

It was a strange action and I didn't know what to make out of it as I sat there; it was as though he was trying to comfort me, not from what I had told him the previous day, but from something new.

He was still avoiding eye contact with me and as he waited a few more seconds to get whatever he needed off of his chest, his eyes finally met mine.

"Hikari…there's something you should know about your situation…" Makoto started out as he held my attention.

I slowly nodded in response and listened as he continued.

"After you told me what happened, I decided to go investigate for myself to look for any clues as to why a massacre like that would happen…but, what I found was something else."

He stopped right there and as I saw him turn to the side and grab something from his pocket, my green orbs widened in shock as I took notice of the shiny metal of the Hidden Waterfall Village's symbol as it reflected back at me. The most obvious characteristic to me was that there were several scratches on the fine metal and as I hesitantly took the headband in my shaking hands, I knew that it was my brother's.

The headband was still in my hands and as I let my fingertips skim the mere smooth surface, I knew when I saw the headband that it was my brother's; I didn't know how to feel and as I turned my attention back to Makoto, I could see the evident look of despair in his orbs.

"Hikari…my men and I found that the whole town burned down. It was the only thing left; there was no body found and we didn't find any other clues. Everything's been erased."

I let his words sink in and I thought all my tears had already dried up, but at that moment, my emotions hit me as I let several tears fall from my eyes onto the metal plate. I clutched the headband so tightly in my hands and as I let my tears freely fall from my face, I didn't realize that Makoto had embraced me and allowed me to cry into his chest.

I felt him rub soothing circles on my back and as I continued to let my tears fall, I looked back at the headband in my hands and it only proved as a reminder of my brother and the type of person he was.

I had hope that Akio would make it through, that he'd come here to this village to make sure I was safe and that we'd be able to make it through this together, but I guess I was wrong.

He wasn't going to come get me and I'd never get the chance to see him again because he was gone and the only thing I had to remember him by was his headband.

Akio was supposed to become the best shinobi there ever was, and now, he wouldn't get that chance because of me. He risked everything for me and I had nothing in return to give to him.

I was a burden; just some obstacle that got in his way and caused his own downfall. And it was unfair that I was living right now. Life can be cruel, but I didn't think it could be that cruel to the point where it leaves you without anyone to turn to or fully trust.

In the end, you'll find that your life is unfair, and there's nothing you can do about it no matter how hard you try because it's inevitable; fate's already decided for you what will happen, and you just have follow it whether you want to or not.

* * *

We all want to find acceptance in our lives; that's what we all strive for and whether we all try to show our true selves to others, we all find that we try to hide behind masks. It's the façade we put up that tries to stop the hurt from showing, to fix that broken dam before the water causes it to break and shatter, but truthfully, all we want is someone to accept us for ourselves. Taking away everything that defines us, you realize that when you lose everything, you've only got yourself to fend for and maybe just separating yourself from all those things that make you, you, you'll come to accept yourself.

I couldn't say that I was completely accustomed to my new life; actually that would be a lie because I was still lost and my mindset just wasn't the same anymore. I couldn't really smile or laugh without making it sound fake and despite how hard I tried to fool myself to make it seem like this was my home, it just didn't work out.

But that didn't stop Makoto from trying; everyday he'd make it is mission to try to make me smile or laugh, and I appreciated that; I didn't want to lose the person that I was before all of this happened, and despite how much free time he'd put aside just for me, I could never truly show him how much I appreciated it.

Each time I tried, I'd become silent and still, as if I was frozen to my spot, and all there was left to do was just hug him until I got my point across. It was as though my voice wouldn't utter my own thoughts and despite how I knew that Makoto was just some sort of safety blanket for me, I clung to him for dear life because he was all I had.

I didn't know what came over me but he was the closest person left for me; everyone else was gone and I had to face that horrible truth. Even though his arms felt foreign around me, I couldn't help but be delighted to be touched by someone and feel some sort of love or affection.

Maybe it's the fact that you know this person will be there for you, and that's all it takes to make you show some sort of appreciation towards that person. Because no matter what, you never want to end up alone and if there's that slight chance that there's someone who will be waiting for you at the end of the dark abyss, you're willing to take that chance once the opportunity is given to you.

* * *

**A few weeks later: **

I woke up the next day, just like any other day and despite how I continued to wake up in the same exact room, it still felt foreign to me.

After a few days of locking myself in my room, I felt like I was now stable and able to interact with other people. I had just recovered from the mere shock of what could've become of my brother and as I turned towards the bedside table that held his headband, I couldn't cry anymore; all the previous tears that I had shed probably took out all the water in my system and as I stood there, just trying to deny that he was now gone, I didn't know how to feel anymore.

I looked around the room and as I caught sight of the pale blue walls and the simple décor, they didn't help me feel comforting at all and despite how this had become routine to me, I just couldn't shake off the feeling that I was just some stranger that was trying to fit in.

And the scariest thing about that is that there would be nothing that could change that, but all I could hope for is to be accepted by them. But I couldn't get rid of the fact that my brother was now gone, and I knew it; he wasn't coming back, and he never would, and that was something I needed to accept, even though I didn't want to.

Sighing in defeat, I decided to get out of my bed and try to start my day out on a positive note, because after spending a several days in doors, in bed, I needed to get some fresh air.

Once my feet hit the floor, I quickly headed off to the bathroom and I began my normal morning routine as I washed my face and brushed my teeth; quickly putting my long, white hair into a messy bun, I changed out of my pajamas and took the time to dress myself in some pants and a dark forest green, long-sleeved shirt.

Despite how I was now going to live in the Hidden Mist Village now, I wasn't sure if my own body would be capable of adapting to this cold atmosphere, but I guess in time, I'd be able to adjust.

Once I was dressed, I felt ready to face the outside world, although, I wasn't sure how I would react to a new place that was foreign to me, but I guess a small part of me was willing to give it a shot.

A knock was heard, and as I turned around, I saw that Makoto was patiently standing in the doorway, waiting for me.

As I nodded to him to signal that I was ready, I exited my room and as I felt him walking beside me, he was quick to take my hand in his as he lead me outside to his home.

We had just taken a few steps outside and as I saw that the mist was completely gone, I was amazed at how different the village was compared to mine, but I didn't want to spoil Makoto's own excitement because he seemed happy. As I turned to him, I saw a small glint in his blue eyes and he seemed to have planned this whole trip of showing me the whole village for awhile, and despite everything that had happened, I didn't want to ruin his own happiness because of my own misfortune, so I was willing to give it a shot. I mean there could always be the chance that I could learn to love the village and everyone inside it.

* * *

It was nearing the late afternoon and Makoto managed to show me nearly every spot that was precious to him in this village from the large, towering buildings to the calm setting of the village market.

This place was different from my village; it was much larger and not as bright, but the people seemed nice enough through my own perspective. I just didn't know what to make of the whole scene yet, but I did know one thing, it was surely cold here. I didn't know how Makoto could handle the cold temperature; he was dressed in fairly a thin navy shirt and a pair of pants while I was fully covered and still shivering from the climate.

It was beyond different and it felt like I was on another planet, but I knew I had to try to give this place a chance before I could actually judge it for myself.

* * *

We both had just finished lunch and as I felt him grab my hand in his, he was quick to lead me to one more stop. I felt a blindfold cover my orbs again and as I felt myself being carried off in his strong arms, I felt the cold breeze pass through my white hair and as I tried to become more accustomed to the cold atmosphere, I snuggled closer into his chest in order to warm my body up.

We were going somewhere, and as I felt ourselves only go higher and higher, I was slightly frightened that we would go too high for my liking; I was never a fan of heights and as I held onto him as tightly as possible, I was relieved once we stopped.

Makoto carefully set me down onto my feet, and as I felt him turn me towards the horizon, he swiftly removed the blindfold from my sight.

My green orbs were closed and as I blinked a couple of times and opened my eyes, I saw the bright sun shine down onto the town.

Saying the sight was beautiful was an understatement; I could understand why Makoto loved coming up here and as I looked at the horizon, I momentarily forgot my slight fear of heights.

We were pretty high up and as I turned towards Makoto, I saw him smile and as the light from the sun only made him look more handsome as it allowed his dark-raven hair to glow in the light, I turned my attention back to the village and waited to see if he would say anything.

A couple moments later as we both stood there in silence, enjoying the feeling of the sun on our skin, I turned towards him as I heard him say something as he stood beside me.

"Welcome home, Hikari." He said as he looked beyond the horizon towards the Hidden Mist Village. I saw the look of calm in his orbs as he looked down upon the very village he grew up in, and I remembered when I had that look whenever I looked at my own village.

As I looked at all the massive buildings and the huge population of people working and tending to their daily actions, I felt like a stranger. I was someone stepping into a new world; I came from a small place and as I looked down below, I knew that this wasn't my home. My home was Kuroshio, the place where I was born and raised, and this new place, would never be my home.

I always thought I'd always stay in my home; that maybe when I had a family, we'd live there in peace and then many generations after us, they'd live there too, but sometimes those dreams, will never come true. Who was I kidding? I knew that my home was destroyed and despite how I tried to tell myself it wasn't, I was only in denial; a denial that was slowly causing me to question my sanity and wonder why I was still here. Maybe fate was just being cruel to me or maybe in my past life I was a horrible person and messed with the spirits of our world. Whatever I did or had done, I only wish I could've taken it back.

In situations like these, we all wish we could take back what we did or said; living with those regrets are what eat us inside and as that guilt continues to build up, it eventually all accumulates and blows over, and that's when we truly wish we could take back what we've done because the pain becomes unbearable.

How could anyone handle a situation like this? I don't think even the strongest of people could try to get rid of their pain, and despite how hard they may try to do so, it stays with them forever.

We all try to live behind a disguise; we all try to hide our own hurt and vulnerability because that's a weakness in other people's eyes; and maybe hiding our own pain is what's hurting us in the end. But that pain never goes away; it's like a stain that stays with you forever and no matter how hard you try to wash it out, it becomes resilient. It's there to remind you of your suffering and although I've heard that time always heals the pain, it only for longs it. It hurts to no end and even though you try to find ways to cope, you just start feeling numb until you pretend that that suffering never existed.

"I-it's good to be home, Makoto." I replied a few moments later, despite how I knew that I was sure I would never find another home, especially in a place like this.

* * *

**Sorry for such a short chapter! But this is more of a filler chapter (I guess you could cal it that), although it's supposed to show the aftermath of how she feels about everything. **

**Because of school, I'm just going to say that updates aren't going to be that fast, but please stay with me and bear it out. **

**Remember to review! I love hearing your thoughts! **

**-Sincerely, **

**Katara :) **


	8. Chapter 8: New Adjustments

**Sorry for the long wait everyone, but just to let you guys know, I have not given up on this story and I have not dropped off the face of this earth. I've just been super busy with school and everything and I'm just glad that during this break that I'll be able to update. I'm excited to hear what you guys think of the new chapter considering that I haven't updated in awhile. So whether you liked it, loved it, or hated it and thought it needs some more improvement, make sure to review at the end of the chapter. Thanks again! :) **

**I'm glad ot be back and I don't want to keep you guys waiting, so here's a new chapter for I'll Wait For You. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone and I'm grateful that my readers enjoy my story. **

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Chapter 8: New Adjustments

I sometimes look back at life and wonder how do we know that we have everything figured out? At a small age, many children have their own aspirations and goals that they want to live up to and when they grow older, they still want to reach their dreams. I wasn't the type of child with far-fetched dreams or any high goals at all. Throughout my life, I knew the type of environment that I was growing up in was caging me in as well. The type of lifestyle I was living was holding me back, but now that I look back at all the lessons and all the time I had spent back with my family and my home, I can't lie to myself and tell myself that I don't miss it because truth be told, I wish I could turn back time and return to it.

All I can say is that I've taken things for granted that I never should've in the first place; the truth is, you don't know what you really have until it's gone. And when I finally accepted that, I think I gained some closure; I accepted that my brother was gone and by allowing myself to do so, I was able to move on with my life. Let's face it, I couldn't stay in my room and be indoors for the rest of my life because I would drive myself crazy; I needed sunlight, the nice ocean breeze, and the smell of fresh air, and maybe that's what made me realize that I can't hold onto the past anymore.

Sometimes people need to let go of things and move on because that makes all the pain easier to face head on. The pain will always be there, but as the days passed on, it became easier to handle, especially with Makoto there.

There was something about him that made me feel secure; he made me feel better about myself, better about my own situation and just turned my life around. It felt like I had known him all my life despite how we've only known each other for a few months; he was the type of person who would go out of his way for me and make sure that I was comfortable here.

I found him to be quite a peaceful person who lived for his village and for those people close to him and I can't shake off the feeling that maybe I was starting to develop feelings for him as well. He was different from most guys I knew and he was just someone who liked me for me; it was as though he could understand me, just like my brother had before he died.

'_Life's something Kami has given us; he's given us the chance to have a family, fall in love, and live happily ever after, but it's not easy to do, Hikari; it'll take some hard work, but in the end, if you put in all your effort, you'll find that happy ending.' –Akio _

My brother used to always tell me that, and I think I'm starting to understand why; there's always suffering that you have to go through before you reach the happy ending and I think that was what I'm going through right now. And maybe, just maybe, Makoto would be my knight in shining armor who would rescue me.

* * *

A few months had passed since I arrived in the Hidden Mist Village and as I was now leaning against my window sill, I looked out of my window towards my newfound environment. Truth be told that I could never call this home and as my green orbs scanned the beginnings of the cold winter months, my own body shivered as I realized how much colder it would get.

At the moment I was wearing probably the thickest clothing I had with me, which were some dark black pants and a long-sleeved, dark forest green shirt, and that wasn't enough to keep me warm. As I made my way across the room, I tried to warm myself up as I hugged myself and tried to create some heat as I rubbed my arms.

It wasn't exactly helpful, but the action was able to keep my mind off from most of the cold and as I continued on, I started to think about how my day would go. Like always, I would head off towards my part-time job at a flower shop, but seeing how I had already gone and finished my shift, I had nothing to do. The shop was fairly empty today seeing how cold it was getting, and now that I thought about it, why would anyone in their right mind even have a flower shop in such a cold place? It didn't make any sense to me and as I looked back at the window, I could see the formation of the cold fog forming on the glass, and finally succumbed to my body's desire as it screamed at me to find some warmth.

I slowly guided my body towards the soft, warm covers of my bed and as felt myself fall right into them, I hadn't realized how tired I was until I felt my eyes close and allow me to fall into the darkness.

_Dream _

_It was as though I was floating; the whole background was a bright white color and as I covered my eyes from the bright light that was now illuminating the whole area, my green orbs finally adjusted as I opened them and saw someone before me. _

_I was in shock and as I looked back at him, I was surprised how he looked just like himself; with his dark jet black hair and vibrant purple orbs, there was no mistaking it that it was my brother, Akio, standing before me. _

_I saw him with his charming smile and as I tried to reach out for him, he abruptly lifted his palm and signaled for me to stop my advance. At that, my feet stopped myself and as I now only stood a few feet from him, I was confused; all I wanted to do was embrace him and never let go and as I now raised an eyebrow at his gesture, I waited for him to say or do something to tell me that he was actually here with me. _

"_Hikari, you're not safe here." I heard him say as his purple eyes quickly turned stern. _

"_Wh-what are you talking about, Akio? How am I not safe?" I asked as I tried to step closer, but as I tried, I only saw my brother take one step back. _

"_There are forces out there that are endangering your life right now; you need protection." Stated my brother. _

"_I thought I was already safe? Makoto's taking care of me, isn't that enough?" _

"_I can't tell you much Hikari, but all I can say is that you're not safe; watch out for yourself and whatever you do, don't trust anyone. There are people out there who are after you and they won't stop at anything to get to you. You're the remaining Tsutano, Hikari; that entitles several things, but the most important is what we were hiding." _

"_The Hero's Water…" I silently whispered as I turned towards my brother and saw him nod at my statement. _

"_There's a reason why I gave you that necklace, Hikari. Remember to always wear it and keep it near you; it's for your own protection. But for now, you need someone who you can trust because when the time comes where someone comes after you, you need to turn to that person for help." _

"_But there has to be more than that, Akio. What else aren't you telling me?" _

"_I'm sorry, Hikari, but I don't have enough time to explain. I have to go, but for now, be safe and try to stay out of trouble…" Akio said as I watched him slowly disappear from my view. _

_And before I knew it, I felt myself slowly fall to my knees; in one moment, I was with my brother, and in the next, I found myself alone. _

_End of dream. _

I woke up abruptly in a cold sweat and as I sat up in my bed, I quickly threw the covers off of me as I grabbed the silver necklace off from my bedside table and put it around my neck.

The dream that I had just experienced felt more than just a figment of my imagination; it actually felt real, as though Akio was really there.

But it wouldn't make any sense; why would my mind conjure up pictures of my brother knowing how much he affected me. I didn't know what was happening; maybe I was just becoming slightly insane because deep down I missed my brother, but there was more to that dream that I could comprehend.

Someone or something was after me; my brother was warning me about something and as I tried to calm myself down to think clearly, the mere thought of being endangered was scary to me.

I took a moment to go over the many possibilities and as I just decided to give the topic some thought later, I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since the time I had arrived back to my temporary shelter.

My stomach was grumbling loudly and as the sound reached my ears, I was quick to get up from my bed and check the clock on the wall; as my eyes scanned over it, I realized that I had slept for at least four hours and as it was now almost five o'clock, I decided that it really was time to eat something.

With that thought in mind, I made my way towards the kitchen; it was plain, painted just pure white with white appliances to match, and as I made my way towards the refrigerator, I took out some bread and a couple slices of meat and lettuce to make a sandwich.

As I finished my arrangement of food between the two slices of bread, I was quick to finish my meal. There were only crumbs of the bread left on the plate and as I gulped down a glass of milk to soothe my dry throat, I realized that Makoto had never come back from the office.

I had placed my plate into the sink and I quickly realized that there wasn't another plate under it, which only further reinforced my conclusion that he didn't come back to eat.

I was a bit worried about Makoto and as I clutched tightly on the silver necklace that was around my neck, I bit my bottom lip and decided that he was probably staying in the office because there was probably a lot of work to do. Instead of trying to concentrate on the negative possibilities, I decided that I should keep my mind off of it and make some food for him. Considering that he's been working for awhile, he'd be hungry by now and the least I could do for him was to make dinner and show my appreciation for everything that he's done for me.

_Flashback: _

"_..you know he's been talking about you a lot, right Hikari?" said my brown-haired co-worker as she was cleaning the front desk. _

"_Huh? Who are you talking about, Yuki?" I asked as I finished a flower arrangement and neatly put it on the top shelf. _

"_Makoto of course! Don't tell me that you don't know how he feels about you?" Yuki asked as she abruptly stopped and looked at me with her chocolate brown eyes. _

_As I blushed and looked away from her gaze, I stopped trying to adjust this flower's petal and fidgeted with my fingers as I tried to come up with a response. "Well…I never knew that he cared that much about me if he's talking about me that much." _

_Raising her brow at me, Yuki quickly shook her head in disappointment and said, "Hikari, I don't think you realize how much he cares about you. This entire village basically knows how he feels about you and you seem to be the only person who doesn't notice it. I can't believe it." Yuki had said as I saw her hit the palm of her hand to her forehead and then turned towards me again. "I would've thought you'd realize by now seeing that he basically saved you, let you stay in his home, and has taken care of you." _

"_Oh, well I suppose I do now…" I said as I returned back to my work. _

_As I continued adjusting the leaf until it was in the right position, I was about to move onto the next flower arrangement before Yuki sneaked up behind me; as I turned around and shrieked in surprise, I immediately turned to see if anyone had noticed and I was grateful that no one was there to hear my scream. _

"_Yuki!" I harshly whispered, "What was that about?" _

"_Hikari, do you guys sleep together?" _

"…_yes, we sleep everyday." I said as I casually moved onto the next arrangement, but what I wasn't expecting was that Yuki continued to follow me and nearly squealed after what I had just told her. _

"_You've slept with the Mizukage's son?" Yuki nearly screamed and as I finally realized that I had heard her question wrong, I was quick to drop everything and quickly cover her mouth. _

_My cheeks were now a light red color and as I abruptly tried to stop Yuki from saying another word, I was quick to tackle her to the ground with my hand still over her mouth. As I watched her stop struggling in my grasp, I loosened my grip on her and allowed her to settle down before I continued on. _

"_Yuki, don't say anything…I didn't mean it like that! I thought you meant if we get enough sleep every day. I swear to you that we've never done anything like that." I firmly said as I had tackled Yuki down to the ground and made her keep silent as I slowly let my hand move away from her mouth. _

"_Whatever you say, Hikari…." She said as she briskly passed me and finished cleaning the surface of the desk. _

_As I rolled my green orbs at her childish antics, I was about to put some more vases back on the shelves, but my legs abruptly stopped as I turned to Yuki and asked, "Yuki, what has Makoto been saying about me? _

_Curious was an understatement on what I was feeling right now because I was more than curious; I was at least anxious and a bit scared to hear what Makoto thinks of me and as I watched Yuki go through her thoughts, the whole atmosphere of suspense was nearly killing me. _

_As I was about to lose my patience, Yuki finally spoke aloud and said, "All I've heard around town was that he's always been talking about how unique you are and how your appearance makes you different from any other girl he's seen. I've also heard him calling you his angel and how he might plan to propose to you, but other than that, nothing else." _

_My eyes widened at her last statement and as I tried to hide the blush on my face and my expression of shear shock, I nodded and quietly turned away towards the back room. I felt my feet move and as I passed through the wooden doors, I was in a room full of vibrant flowers, left alone to think about what I had just heard. _

'_Could it be true that that's how he feels about me?' _

_End of flashback. _

That whole flashback ran through my head as I was preparing the rice, meat, and vegetables for his dinner and as I grabbed a bento box from a cabinet, I quickly stored the food within it. Putting the top onto it, I was glad that I was able to create a decent meal full with onigiri, unagi, umeboshi, and dango, and I hoped in my heart that he would love it.

As I quickly made my way out of the kitchen and towards the closet, I quickly took out a thick navy jacket, gloves, and dark-colored shoes. I wrapped myself quickly into the jacket and as I put my gloves, hat, scarf, and shoes on, I quickly finished. As I buttoned the last button on my coat, I grabbed the bento box and ran out of the front door towards the Mizukage tower.

It had begun to get foggier again and as I maneuvered my way through the cold streets of the Hidden Mist Village, I could see my breath in the air as I was breathing heavily.

I was running as fast as I could towards the tower and as I finally made my way towards the large building, I entered and was able to get the feeling back in my limbs as I entered the warm building.

I quickly looked around and once I was able to remember where his office was situated, I moved towards that direction. I knew that it was in the left wing, the third door from the left because I had come to his office a couple times to just talk to him and help him out with his paperwork and as I was making the same turns I had made several times before, I had finally made it to his office.

The door was a cherry wood color and as I softly knocked on it, I heard Makoto's voice answer, telling me to come inside. I then slowly grabbed the golden handle and as I turned it, I was relieved to see that he was there.

His office was as neat as he was; everything was organized in its place and the walls were painted a dark blue color with a little lighting from the lamp on his desk. In the center was his black-colored desk and a big, black chair where he sat doing his paperwork.

As quickly as I came in, I quickly closed the door and approached his desk. I took a seat in a dark blue chair , directly in front of him, and as I waited patiently for him to finish signing his signature off for something, he quickly turned his gaze towards me and gave me a warm smile once he noticed I was there.

"I didn't know that you would come by today; this is actually a nice surprise." Makoto said as he stopped working and turned his attention to me.

Smiling at him, I nodded and replied with, "I was just worried since you didn't come back for lunch, so I thought you'd be hungry so I made you a bento box." I had said as I handed him the box and watched him open it.

As I saw him scan over the contents of the box, I was nervous to see what he would think about my cooking. And as I saw him break his chopsticks and pick up a pick of unagi and put it into his mouth, I watched him chew and swallow, waiting for his judgment.

"It's really good. Arigato, Hikari, this was very thoughtful of you." Makoto said as he continued eating.

I could see that he really liked it and I was glad that he appreciated the amount of work I put into it. I never realized it, but his opinion about me is important to me and as he quickly finished the whole box, I realized that he must've been pretty hungry this whole time.

"I'm glad you liked it. You must've been pretty hungry if you ate it that fast." I said as I smiled at him and slightly giggled at the blush coming up from the surface of his face.

"I've been stuck in here the entire day, so yes, I've been hungry this entire time. I'm glad that you made this for me."

"I see, so what have you been up to?" I asked as my curiosity got the best of me. I saw the amount of paperwork that was stacked on his desk and as I tried to see what was on the papers, I couldn't really make out what it said.

"Just looking over some treaties and such, but I'm almost done, so we can go out together and have a fun night. That is, if that's all right with you." He said as he stopped to look at me and see my reaction.

I was shocked and I knew that it showed on my face, but as I looked back at Makoto, I couldn't help but smile and nod my head as I agreed with his offer.

Seeing his eyes light up in delight, I could see that I really did make him happy and as he quickly returned back to his work without another word, I left him to his work as I quietly sat in my chair and waited patiently for him to finish.

* * *

After another hour of work, Makoto had finally finished looking over all the paperwork and as I was now helping him file away some of them into the many file cabinets in his office, we were finally done within another minute.

"Now that that's done, I say we get out of here and have some fun." Makoto had as he turned towards me and took my hand in his.

I nodded and as I let him drag me out the door into the coldness of the night, I was glad that I was getting to spend time with him.

I had to admit that Makoto was probably the reason why I was still sane at the moment because if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to make it through all of this and I don't think I'd be able to be happy ever again. But he changed all of that for me; I didn't know how I couldn't see that he cared about me because at the moment I could clearly see how obvious it was.

I could see how much his eyes lit up when I'm with him and as I inched closer to him to make my body warmer, I felt him sling his arm around my waist, moving me closer towards him.

"I think we should go get you some more clothes for the winter; I can tell Hikari that you're still adjusting to the weather and I don't want you to catch any illness or anything. It's better to be safe than sorry." He said aloud as he looked at me with his intense gaze.

I nodded and as we silently made our way towards the shopping district of the Hidden Village in the Mist, I was excited because this day was getting better as time passed.

* * *

We quickly entered into a store and as I was thankful that it was warm inside, I saw from the corner of my eye that Makoto was smirking at me due to my discomfort with the cold. It was a little immature, but I couldn't help but notice that Makoto was a handsome guy and despite how I rolled my eyes at him a joking manner, I was just doing it to avoid blushing in front of him.

Suddenly, I felt him grab my hand again and lead me towards the right section of winter clothes. As I approached the stacks of clothes, I was quick to look for thick sweaters, coats, and shoes for the upcoming winter weather.

I was thankful that Makoto was so willing to provide for me and as I grabbed several clothes and showed him which ones I liked, I got the sense that he was happy to spend time with me as well. I could see that from his smile he liked to be with me and as I looked back at him, I realized that maybe I was developing feelings for him as well.

I didn't know how to explain how I felt, but I guess I could say that I felt like a giddy school-girl who just found her long-time crush. Something about Makoto made me feel safe and happy and I was just thankful to have something like that around me.

He was someone who I could fully trust and now that I look back at it, he's always been there for me when I needed him most.

This may be my tough journey, but he's been through the whole ride with me. He's dealt with all the good times and the bad times so I felt that he truly understood me. I could probably tell him anything and know that he wouldn't judge me about it like the other people in this village or anywhere else.

He probably is one of the only few who have seen both sides of my personality; I could be emotional and loud or soft and kind and he's been able to break through my walls. I could see that he cares about me and maybe I really was falling for him.

* * *

We had finished getting all my winter clothes in less than two hours and as we both were leaving the store, I couldn't help but feel that this day was beginning to feel magical, as if it was the beginning of a fairy tale.

Makoto had taken my hand in his again and as we both were walking around the village, I could see that the stars and the moon were shining brightly down upon us. It was as though I was in a dream, a magical dream that was giving me a ray of hope that I could have a future here.

It was a nice feeling to know that I could be happy again and as I was quickly blindfolded my Makoto, I felt him slowly lead me towards who knows where. But despite the air of mystery that now surrounded us, I felt that I could trust him and despite wherever we were going, I was just happy to be with him.

The air was starting to get colder and as I felt a breeze pass through the atmosphere, I could almost smell the scent of the ocean or some sort of body of water. Makoto had suddenly stopped me and positioned me straight ahead towards somewhere unknown and removed the blindfold from my gaze. And at that moment, I was nearly shocked at what I saw.

Makoto had taken me to an ocean near the outskirts of town and as I watched the moon illuminate the blue water, I was astounded at how beautiful the scene was.

It was peaceful and as I silently sat down and enjoyed the sounds of the calm moving waves, I felt at home here. It was as though there was a sense of my old life lying in those waters and despite how I knew it was gone, something about any body of water made me feel like I still had a home to come back to.

The sand that was beneath me reminded me so much of my home and as I grasped some of it and let the pieces fall from the palms of my hand, it just felt right to be here at the moment.

I was content with the ocean breeze pushing past my snow white air and I completely embraced the feeling. As I looked back at the ocean and its calming waves, I couldn't help but smile.

I quickly turned back to Makoto, but I quickly realized that he had already taken a seat next to me, so as we both just sat on the sand in silence; it was as though we both knew that it was just a time to take everything in.

"I usually come here to clear my mind and just think without any interruptions." Makoto said as he turned towards me and waited for my response.

Before answering, I looked back at the scenery again and finally responded with, "It's just like the spot I used to go to back home; it's funny how we both have the same thoughts on how to clear our minds. It's nice here..."

"It is. It's like my sanctuary where I can go here anytime and just be me." He stated as he turned his gaze away from me and back to the waves.

As I slowly nodded and watched him from the corner of my eye, I couldn't help but return back to the scene and watch the waves slowly creep closer to where we were sitting.

"I felt like that too; the pond in the backyard was my sanctuary, the one place where I knew no one could judge me; the one place where I could figure out who I was."

Turning his head to look back at me, I looked up into his eyes and saw that he thought the same thing as well. In his eyes, I could see him think over my words and as I saw him slowly nod, there was another moment of silence between us.

I couldn't say that I didn't like the moment of silences we had because I enjoyed them; it was nice to know that someone was here beside me and despite how quiet it was, it was just nice to be in his presence.

"I know it's nothing compared to the pond you had back at home, but I was hoping that this would make up for it. I know how much you've been through, Hikari, and I can say that I'm proud of how far you've gotten. If I were you, I don't think I would've been unable to make it this far." Makoto had suddenly said as he looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"I don't think I would've been able to make it through without you, Makoto. You've always been there for me and you shouldn't be proud of me, you're the reason why I've made it this far. You are such a strong shinobi and compared to me, I'm just an ordinary person." I had said as continued to play with the sand between my fingertips.

"That's wrong" Makoto said with a stern voice and as I heard the tone of authority beneath it, I flinched a bit, afraid of what he was going to say. "You've come so far on your own; I was just there to help you along the way. The growth that you've achieved is because of yourself, Hikari, and don't let anyone tell you differently."

I blushed at his statement as took in what he said, I realized that Makoto thought higher of me than I ever had in my lifetime. I had always believed that I was a girl who was just afraid of everything; afraid of change, afraid of ending up alone, but maybe, I didn't have to be that way anymore because I have someone who cares about me sitting right beside me.

"Arigato, Makoto-kun. I didn't know that you thought so highly of me."

"You've changed into a stronger person, Hikari, and whether you see it or not, I have. Your journey's been tough, but you've been able to overcome so much. You're the real shinobi here." He replied as he gave me a soft smile and took my hand in his.

Smiling up at him at his gesture I looked at him and said, "How am I a shinobi? I don't even know how to fight let alone defend myself." I had blatantly said as I looked at him with one of my brows raised.

Chuckling at my statement and shaking his head in a joking manner, Makoto gave me another soft smile before continuing onto what he was going to say: "You're overlooking what makes a true shinobi, Hikari. It's not about skill or being ruthless on the battlefield; although that's half of it, there's more to it than that. Shinobi are born within us everyday and whether we decide to take the path of one or not, the spirit of a shinobi resides in all of us. Being a shinobi is more than just having fighting skills and tactics, it's also about being brave and facing your fears head on and to keep fighting no matter what the circumstance. It's about protecting those who are sacred to you."

"I-I never thought of it that way…" I started as I began to ponder over his words. "I guess I would be considered a shinobi in those terms, but—"

"But nothing, Hikari….If you have the will to fight and continue to do so, even if the circumstances look bleak, then in my eyes, you're considered a shinobi." Makoto said as I watched his stern façade remain on his face.

I could tell that Makoto was serious about his words and as I processed over what he had just said, I suppose that he was right in a sense. If those were the terms that he defined as a shinobi, then I guess I was one in his eyes.

"Arigatou, Makoto-kun. You've helped me become a stronger person and I'm so grateful for you to be here for me." I softly said as I watched the seriousness disappear from his face and be replaced with a look of relaxation and tranquility.

After a discussion like that, all I wanted to do was enjoy the peacefulness of the entire scene and as I felt Makoto wrap his arm around my waist and pull me closer towards him, I found that I wasn't afraid to rest my head on his shoulder.

It was actually comforting to have him there and as we both enjoyed the serene silence of the night, I looked up upon the bright stars and hoped for the best.

* * *

We stayed like that for who knows for how long, but all I knew was that it felt nice to belong somewhere, to actually be able to say that I found someone who cared about me and thought about me. And maybe perhaps, my home lied with him.

I didn't know how long we were out in the cold, but the freezing climate didn't seem to bother me; it was relaxing and as we both continued to sit there upon the sand, I had noticed that it was starting to rain.

I had only felt a few small droplets of water hit the top of my head and as I turned my head up towards the sky, I knew that it was actually raining from the amount of rain clouds in the sky.

It felt nice to feel the water hit my head and despite how cold it was getting, I didn't really mind it. Something about the rain made me feel like I was back at my old home and as I was still sitting on the sand, I decided to embrace the feeling of the rain.

All my childhood memories of my brother and I playing in the rain puddles and in the rain as it drizzled upon our skin came back at me and as I let all the droplets hit me, it was as though my brother was still here with me.

_Flashback _

_It was a time when my brother was 9 and when I was around 6; it was raining hard and as I stood under the roof of our home, I was watching my brother play in rain puddle. He was laughing and having fun, and it seemed like he didn't hold any cares in the world on his shoulders, as if he was carefree. _

_Despite how much I wanted to join him, I hid behind a wooden pole because I was afraid that the droplets of water would ruin my kimono. _

_The kimono wasn't new, but I guess at the time, I was just afraid to try something new; as a child, I was always afraid of so many things and my brother, Akio, seemed to be fearless. _

"_Hikari?" Akio stated as he stopped and looked towards me. _

_I had continued to hide and as I was about to head inside, I was pulled abruptly by my brother as he took hold of my hand. _

"_Akio, let go! I want to go inside. You're going to get sick if you stay out here any longer." I said as I tried to get out of his grip, but despite how much I struggled, Akio kept hanging onto my arm. _

_As I turned to face my brother, I noticed that there was a look of perseverance in his purple orbs and that look quickly silenced me as I waited for what he was going to say. _

"_Come on, just join me, Kari! This one time! It'll be fun I promise!" Akio exclaimed as he tried pulling me out from under the roof and into the rain. _

_I was panicking as he got closer and closer to the rain and as if my brother could detect my own fear, he stopped a few inches before we would both be standing in the rain and stood in front of me. _

_Holding my shoulders and stopping myself from shaking, Akio said, "Kari, come on, just once. Please. I promise it won't hurt you and you might like it. Sometimes you just have to face your fears. You can't avoid them forever." _

_As I watched my brother extend his arm out towards me as an offering, I was hesitant at first. For a moment, I looked at his hand and I was afraid to touch it, as though it had a disease, but after contemplating what my brother had just said, I slowly reached out towards his hand and took his hand in mine. _

_Shaking my head as though I was saying that I trusted him, Akio slowly pulled me out from under the roof and into the rain. _

_The feeling of the water hitting my skin was different, but as I became accustomed to it, I enjoyed the feeling. I felt free; free from whatever my life was caging me in from and despite how I was getting my kimono dirty, I could clearly remember that that was my first time that I had fun. _

_For once in my life, my brother had shown me my first glimpse at freedom, and truth be told, it was sweeter than anything in the world. _

_End of flashback. _

That memory was probably one of the most precious memories I had of my brother. I've realized that he's taught me so much about life and even from a young age, he was still teaching me something.

It's funny how now that I reflect back on it, even at a young age, my brother had a promising future and it all disappeared within one day. Instead, I was left here and I've been thinking that it happened all for a reason; maybe it happened because I would need to find out who I was and everything that my brother taught me would help me throughout that journey.

I didn't know how to feel at the moment and as I slowly stood up and let the rain hit my skin more and more, it was just a refreshing sensation. It was as though the water was washing away all my pain and suffering and I felt free.

Without even a second thought, I stepped forward and began to embrace the rain as I danced in it.

I closed my eyes and as I let my body move on its own, it was nice to disconnect from the world around me and as I continued on with my actions, I hadn't noticed that Makoto had joined me until I felt someone spin me around.

As I returned back to reality, I was surprised that he was joining me. His arm was on my waist and as the other was holding onto my hand, I felt him lead me across the dance floor.

Even though it was raining, it was nice to see Makoto's fun side. It wasn't a side that I often saw because being the Mizukage's son, Makoto always had to act serious; he always had to act as though he held no emotions and was just a weapon for his village, but I got to see a different side of him. I saw something beneath his hard exterior and I was grateful that he let me in and break down his own walls.

We both had continued dancing in the rain for awhile and as we both stopped to breathe, it didn't matter that we were wet and dirty from the rain and the mud.

It felt nice to act like children for a moment and as I looked back at Makoto, I could see the small bright smile on his lips as well. And as I watched him, I actually saw him laugh and from that scene, I had to look twice because I didn't believe my own eyes. It was nice to see him laugh and smile and as I also joined in with his laughter, it was just a magical moment that was perfect for the two of us.

Within a few more moments, we both stopped laughing and it became silent again. I enjoyed the silence and I was also thankful that it was dark because I didn't want Makoto to see myself blushing because I knew that each time he smiled, he truly did show how handsome he was. Each time he laughed and he smiled were on rare occasions and when he actually did, it made my heart flutter. Butterflies would develop within my stomach each time he did and I would always slightly blush.

"Umm…t-thank you for joining me, Makoto. I needed that." I said as I smiled at him.

I felt Makoto grab my hand and as he nodded at my statement, he replied back with, "No problem, it was an honor. I haven't had that much fun for awhile."

"We should probably head back now before we catch a cold or something." I had suggested and as I was about to make a move back towards his home, I hadn't realized how wet the ground was, and had accidently slipped.

Closing my eyes and waiting for the impact, I tried grabbing anything within my range; within a few more moments, I realized that I had stopped falling and I was instantly surprised that Makoto had managed to catch me.

I was quite thankful though because I didn't want to get any dirtier and as I was currently snuggled against his chest, holding onto him, I couldn't help but blush even more.

I had never realized how muscular Makoto was and as my body was against his, I finally knew now.

I didn't know for how long we stayed like that, but once I was broken out from my daze, I tried to remove myself from his chest.

I suddenly felt Makoto's arm hold me around the waist to steady myself and as I finally was able to get my balance back, I was about to let go of him before he grabbed my chin. Both our eyes met each other's and as I looked deeply into his dark-colored orbs, I was mesmerized by them.

It felt as though we were the only two people in the world and as I felt him lean in, I hadn't realized that he had kissed me until I felt his soft lips on mine.

I didn't know what to make out of the kiss considering that it was the first kiss I had ever received, but it felt strange, in a good way I suppose. I felt my lips move against his and as we broke a part for some air, it was as though my breath was taken away.

But despite how nice it felt, it wasn't the type of kiss that I was expecting. I always thought that it would be magical, but for reason, it wasn't. It felt as though there was something missing, and maybe it was just because I was inexperienced, but I didn't know what was missing. It felt like an ordinary kiss, nothing special about it except for it being my first kiss.

I was now stuck at a fork in the road and as I felt Makoto take my hand again and lead me back towards his home, I didn't know what to do anymore.

I felt lost once more, just like I was at the beginning of this entire journey and just when I thought I had everything figured out, things just got more complex.

I didn't know what to feel anymore because from the beginning, I thought that I was developing feelings for him, but was it feelings that came from the person who Makoto was or was it just for the sake of him being my hero?

This whole situation was becoming more confusing than I needed it to be.

I only wish life was easy, or at least easier, but I don't think my future would give me any shortcuts or any way out because that's what life is like. Life is cruel and complex and if it was easier, then we wouldn't have to work hard for anything. We wouldn't have any aspirations or dreams, and in the end, I guess I believed that life gives us these obstacles to show us how far we'll get if we overcome them. Because in the end, we can get to wherever we want to go as long as we're willing to take on the obstacles that stand in front of us.

* * *

**For this chapter, I wanted to develop the relationship between Hikari and Makoto more so I just wanted to get them spending more time together, so I hope I was able to do that and give their whole 'relationship' some justice. **

**Please remember to review and tell me your thoughts about the new chapter. I hope the next one (that I'm currently working on) will meet your expectations and I think come next chapter, things will get a little more interesting. **

**Sincerely, **

**Katara**


	9. Chapter 9 part 1: Expectations

**Sorry for the late update! I just wasn't happy about this chapter, so I wanted it to be perfect. So hopefully it's perfect now and I hope it lives up to your expectations for those of you who are still reading!**

**I'm so thankful for my readers and in the spirit of giving for the holidays, Merry Christmas everyone! **

**My gift to you guys is a new chapter for I'll Wait For You! Enjoy and I hope to have the 2nd part ready soon!**

* * *

**Chapter 9 part 1: Expectations**

Expectations, everyone has them and let's not lie to each other and say that sometimes, we get disappointed because we set them too high. Having big expectations isn't the wisest thing, but sometimes I always wonder if that's what keeps us all wanting to accomplish our dreams. We set ourselves such high goals and in the end, we sometimes don't accomplish them because they're beyond our reach. And it's cruel to see how far we've fallen from our actual goals, but I like to think at times that when we all fall, it only encourages us to get back up and try again. And no matter how hard you end up falling, you have to get up because life will always push you down, but you need to have faith in yourself and see your dreams come true, one way or the other.

I'd like to think that that was the type of mindset that I set myself in and I'm not going to lie to you either because I used to have huge expectations in my life; I'd imagine that I would be able to live a happy life with a great husband, have some children, and then die peacefully in my sleep. Call it a silly dream, but I thought someday that would be my reality, but I was wrong because when people have too many expectations in life, they only become more disappointed when their expectations aren't met. Having high expectations only hurt you in the end and perhaps if I kept my expectations low, maybe I'd find some sort of happiness in the end.

But the excitement of actually reaching those high expectations that you set yourself is what makes life adventurous and thrilling. And I think there was still a part of me that wanted that thrill and I hoped and dreamed for a happy ending. And perhaps I just desperately tried to hold onto that hope for as long as I could. Because if I could just have that one ray of hope shining down upon me, then that was all it would take for me to still trudge on and continue with my life.

* * *

After seven months in this village, I could actually truly say that I thought I was happy here; that somehow, I would be able to lie to myself and tell myself that I was fine. But I couldn't do this anymore.

It had been five months since I received my first kiss from Makoto and I was still puzzled by how much I was overanalyzing everything. It was different now because I now didn't really know how I felt, yet at the same time, I wanted someone to love me, to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be alright in the end. And maybe a part of me was clinging onto Makoto as that person because I didn't want to end up alone in this village, where I would be quickly lost and forgotten.

Because when you feel like you've been forgotten, you feel like you have no purpose in your life. You feel like as though you've been thrown out on the street and as you watch people pass by you, you feel as though they don't notice you're there because you don't have a reason to exist anymore. And I was starting to realize that a person without a purpose can't go on to live anymore because to me, how can someone carry on if they don't know what to live for?

And maybe that was what I was also hanging onto as well. I still wanted to find my own purpose in life and Makoto seemed like the answer to all of that. He was the only person I could turn to and maybe I could find a life here.

It's confusing to say the least and I didn't know where my mind was at; I was still perplexed by how I felt towards him and maybe this whole thing would be figured out by the end of the week. That was all I could hope for and maybe my questions would be answered by then.

* * *

It was night time now and I was currently sitting upon the window sill, looking out into the midnight sky. I was hugging my knees, trying to keep myself as warm as possible, but it didn't seem to help at all. Despite how it was now getting warmer around here, nothing much changed. I was still not completely accustomed to the cold, despite how it was getting closer to the spring, it wasn't warm enough for me. I just hoped it would get warmer once it became spring because I just needed some sort of feeling that other life was around this village, not just the people within it.

There were no blooming flowers around, however it was too early to tell and despite how I got the chance to experience fresh air everyday, I never once saw any lush meadows to play around in. In those moments, it just made me realize that I wasn't home anymore. I tried to change my view of things here, but just after so many puzzling occurrences and comparisons with my old home, something about this place didn't feel right to me.

The place that I grew up in was always green and always full of life, but here, in the Hidden Mist Village, everything somehow felt bleak. It was usually mostly grey and foggy for the most part and I could tell where the village got its name from. The fog sometimes got pretty thick and hard to see through and that didn't help to make things easier for me.

But I suppose the days where the skies were clear were nice. It was nice to just see the sun and clouds clearly in the sky and I cherished every moment this happened because they were pretty rare in this village. Maybe things weren't that bad and I could convince myself that I'd be fine here.

However, I had other things to worry about than to ponder about the weather; the next day would signal the final day of the week and I was a long ways away from figuring out my true feelings for Makoto. I was torn between what my heart was telling me and what my mind was saying. I guess being logical and being emotional doesn't really work together considering the predicament I was in now. If only life could be easy; if only all the answers just came down into my mind and popped out like a light bulb. If only life was like that then we all wouldn't need to be concerned about our problems, we would all be able to be carefree, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Along with that, it just didn't help with all the pressure that I was feeling from the others around me in the village. The villagers would often look at me in a new way just because word had spread around that I was now with the Mizukage's son. It was nice to not see cold stares presented towards me as I'd often see people be more kind towards me and actually take the time to get to know me. Truth be told, I didn't want to let that comforting feeling go and I wasn't ready to let it go because it was just the start of the feeling that this place was becoming a home for me.

Home. That's probably what I missed most. I missed the feeling of being welcomed, the feeling of being loved, and most of all, the feeling of knowing I belonged somewhere. And that no matter what, I'd be welcomed back with open arms to that home. That's the best part of having a home; it always lies inside you no matter what, when you come back to it, it'll always be there.

I think that was what was letting me still consider the option of being with Makoto in this village. That maybe in some crazy world, I'd be happy here and find what I wanted and create a new home with him. It wasn't such a bad idea now that I thought about it, but would I truly let myself do this? That, I didn't know for sure and that was what scared me the most.

I didn't want to sign away my future not knowing the full consequences I was getting into, but maybe the idea of finding a good ending was just enough to slowly convince me that I should give him a chance.

There were too many things going on in my mind and as I turned my attention towards the night sky, I noticed that the moon was the brightest it had ever been. The stars only made it brighter and as sat their contemplating over my situation, I just tried to get my mind off of things for a bit.

I suppose one of the nicest things about this village was its clear night sky. Each night, I could look up and enjoy the scene and just think about everything that was happening in my life. But as of right now, even the night sky couldn't get my mind off my predicament because I really didn't know what to do anymore.

The next day would be different, much different because I was still confused about everything and I couldn't help but feel hopeless. And staying up late wasn't going to get me any answers anytime soon.

I guess a part of me was anxious for tomorrow and just worried about how things would turn out. Throughout the whole week, every minute, every hour was spent trying to figure out how I truly felt about him, but it only made me even more confused about him.

With all this confusion going on, I never realized how hard it was to figure out my own emotions. I've always worn my heart on my sleeve and as I now sat by the window sill, I was still trying to find some time to figure out my feelings.

Makoto was different, that was obvious to me and I could tell that he sincerely cared about me, but something was holding me back and causing me to be unsure about persuading myself that I do have the same feelings for him like he does for me.

I guess tomorrow would be the day where I would just have to face the biggest fears and see if I could overcome them. I just hope that everything would turn out for the best.

* * *

I woke up abruptly and despite how little sleep I had received last night, I didn't know what had caused me to get out of bed for the new day. I suppose I had forgotten what day it was because it seemed as though I knew something would happen today and whether it be good or bad, I guess unconsciously, my body wanted me to be ready for it.

I quickly ran to the bathroom and as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I could see how the sleep deprivation was starting to affect me. Bags were beginning to form under my eyes and as I looked at how messy my hair was, I knew that I had better get ready for whatever was up ahead. I was starting to become pale and I guess this whole week of trying to figure things out was getting to me as well.

I just wanted things to disappear for a bit and as I saw the nice bath on the left side of the bathroom, it seemed to welcome me in.

Feeling that a shower was necessary to wake me up for the day, I quickly grabbed a light blue towel from the towel rack, stripped out of my pajamas, and turned on the hot, nice water for my shower.

The hot water felt nice against my ivory skin and as I leaned my head back, it felt as though all my worries were gone. It was nice to enjoy myself and as I let my carefree feeling takeover me, I couldn't help but spin around a bit. The circular movements as my body moved on its own accord, calmed my own mind in the process, and that was the most riveting thing about it. Those movements just made me feel at ease because I suppose they just reminded me so much about the type of dances we performed back at home. And as the water continued to hit my skin, it only made me feel more at home.

My home was always peaceful, but I suppose that worlds that are peaceful are just made up because they are just fairy tales that you've been told about at a young age and you just grow up believing in them. In the real world, there's so such thing as real peace or being carefree because that's just someone being naïve and too innocent to understand the world. And maybe, that's who I am right now; I was never aware of how my home could be taken away from me because I'm someone who looks at the world in one way, not seeing the danger in anything or the consequences in anything. All I know is that all I wanted to do was forget about what was happening and just let all my worries wash away. And maybe this day would be the day my worries would be gone forever.

As I let the water hit my ivory skin one last time before I turned it off, the calming feeling of the water left and I was suddenly replaced by a lonesome sensation.

* * *

I quickly grabbed my light blue towel and as I wrapped it around my body, I took the time to dry my whole body as I let droplets drop from my hair.

Once I was dry, I quickly exited from the bathroom and took the towel with me in order to dry my snow white hair.

After several minutes, my hair was finally as dry as I could get it; despite how little droplets fell from a few strands, I quickly ignored the droplets as I dropped the light blue towel and took a look at the calendar that was now hanging on my wall.

Looking straight ahead, my green orbs met up with a day that was circled in bright red pen and at that moment, my eyes widened in shock.

My own thoughts stopped momentarily as I reread the words over and over again and as I slowly grabbed my towel off from the ground, I didn't even bother to remove my gaze from the calendar. I was still in shock and as I looked back at it, my emotions were a mix of surprise and terror.

I was shaking and as I stared at the words again, they both seemed to haunt me:

_Mizukage Coronation _

Now I knew why my body made me get up early because I was about to face a tough journey ahead. This event only further proved that things weren't going to be easy because there was no denying it; it was going to be the day that Makoto would become the next Mizukage.

Truthfully, I didn't really know what to do at the moment. My body seemed to react in the same way as it became numb and as I continued to look at those words, only one thing was running through my mind because I was just drawing a blank with my other thoughts.

_Flashback: _

_A few months earlier: _

_I always enjoyed sitting upon my window sill; it was just a peaceful place to contemplate my thoughts and as I was just looking out towards the horizon towards the sunset, I heard a knock at my bedroom door. _

_The noise broke me out of my reverie and as I turned around to see who had come, I was surprised to see that Makoto was standing in the doorway. It wasn't like him to come back to his home this early, especially when the rays of light were still apparent in the sky. That and along with how he had he arrived in front of me quickly just made me more alert about what was going to happen. _

_I didn't know if what Makoto was about to tell me was going to be good news or bad news, but I was just hoping for the best. _

_As I stared into his dark orbs with my green ones, I slowly nodded my head, signaling that he had my full attention. _

_At that moment, I felt Makoto take hold of my hand and as he still held my gaze with his, I saw him slowly kneel down to my eye level. _

"_Hikari…you've been acting strange lately. You've been more distant than ever. Is there a reason for that?" I heard him ask as he looked at me with concern evident in his eyes. _

_I didn't know what to say; I didn't want to tell him that I wasn't one-hundred percent sure of my feelings for him and that the kiss he'd given me months ago had caused me to question everything, but I had to respond back. _

"_I-I'm just trying to get used to things here. It's just been hard for me, Makoto, but I'll adjust. Don't worry about me." I had said as I gave him a small smile for reassurance. _

_As I felt him touch my right cheek, I didn't realize I was holding in a breath as I watched him get closer and closer to me. _

"_Hikari, I'm always worried about you. I know you're not usually happy, but you're usually more cheerful than you've been lately. After everything that has happened to you, I think I have a right to worry." He responded as he took my chin in his grasp. _

_I closed my eyes at that moment, afraid that tears would spill from them as my thoughts turned to my family. I saw every one of their faces and as I felt some tears fall from my green orbs, I teared out of his grasp. _

"_Makoto, y-you d-don't k-k-know what I've been through! I'm lost, I'm confused and worst of all, I feel every bit of my being slowly slip away here. You can't expect me to act like everything's all right because it's not!" I basically yelled back at him as I watched him watch me with calm eyes. _

_I didn't see any response from him and as I felt him gather me into his arms and allow me to sit on his lap, I couldn't help but rest my head on his shoulder as I heavily breathed in and out from my loud outburst. _

"_I know that; I know how much pain you've been through because believe it or not, I know what it's like to lose someone close to you. My mother, I lost her in a village raid when I was six years old. I can remember clearly how scared she looked when they dragged her away from me and the worst part was that I couldn't do anything about it. She gave up her life for mine, and for awhile, I could never forgive myself." _

_I was silent for awhile, just listening to Makoto's voice and story of how he lost his mother. I guess in a way, he did know how I felt. And it was as though I could feel his pain as well, so while he continued on, I just tried to comfort him as I hugged him back and rubbed calming circles in his back to get him to continue. _

"_But as I grew up, I was able to forgive myself; I was able to find closure and realize that I should put in all my effort into the life she gave me. I couldn't let her death be in vain. I realized from that day forward that I'd be committed to whatever I set my mind to and I wanted to become the next Mizukage. I wanted to protect those people around me as best as I could and make those who are close to me happy, which is why Hikari, I promise that once I become Mizukage, I will show you that I'm committed to you. Once I can prove to this village that I can protect it, then I will also be able to show you that I'm committed by wanting to spend the rest of my life with you. When that moment comes, we can be together forever."_

_I was still in his arms and as I let his last statement replay over and over in my mind, my eyes widened. I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly and as I just stayed in his arms, thinking over what I'd just gotten myself into, I just didn't even fathom how deep of a hole I was digging for myself. _

_End flashback. _

Just allowing that memory pass through my mind was hard enough for me and now there was a possibility that I would have to face that moment soon enough, I wasn't sure what would happen.

A part of me was excited, but the other part of me was scared because I never wanted to lead him on and make him believe that I held some feelings towards him, but I didn't have a choice at the moment. If I didn't want to end up alone, then there was only one choice I had in this situation.

However, the only problem that stood in my way was if I'd be willing to make the right choice for the both of us.

* * *

**A few hours later:**

It was only a matter of time before Makoto would be given the title of Mizukage before the entire village and I was running out of time trying to avoid what would happen next after the ceremony.

Saying I was nervous would be an understatement because I was more than nervous, afraid, or even frightened to say the least. I was momentarily pacing around the room and as I tried my best not to trip over anything and ruin my new kimono, I just couldn't help but keep myself deep in thought, as though that was going to help me forget what was about to happen.

And despite how I was dressed up into a nice lavender and silver kimono with a dark purple obi, I couldn't say that I was excited for the day.

It was what I wanted, wasn't it? I mean throughout my whole life, I'd always imagine how I would be proposed to, who I'd marry, and how we'd spend our lives together. I shouldn't have been concerned about this because this was everything I dreamed of and more. But things became blurred because I no longer knew what I truly wanted.

I wanted another chance at happiness, another chance to just start over and find a place I could belong. But I couldn't ignore this feeling that was calling out to me; I missed something more than a home, I missed the people from my home. My real home itself was made of the same people I've always seen; the men who'd I see fishing and working in the markets alongside their wives and then some men working to become strong shinobi to make the Waterfall village proud.

Then there was that chance of falling in love; of taking that plunge and being committed to Makoto for the rest of my life. I didn't have anything to hold onto anymore since my old life was now gone, and you would think that that would only make me want this relationship to work, but it didn't. It only made me want my old life back. The thought of being with Makoto was great, but the thought of gaining something back I had lost was greater. And maybe I didn't know where the lines of knowing what I needed and what I wanted were blurred; I was blinded and was what I have with Makoto something I needed or something that I wanted?

I couldn't really tell you myself.

I was hoping with all my heart that something would go wrong, that somehow it would rain or that there would be an invasion of the village or something of that sort to cause the ceremony to be postponed, but none of that happened.

I guess whoever was looking down at me right now just enjoyed torturing me to the end and I didn't know how long I could stand here going through all of this. It was all getting to me and I now just needed someone here to tell me what to do.

If only Akio was here, if only he was able to tell me what to do because if he was still around, I'd be fine and I wouldn't be panicking on the inside. He would be able to keep me in peace, but he wasn't here anymore.

I guess at this point, all I needed to do was just take deep, calming breaths and hope for the best.

From here on out, I knew that the moment he became Mizukage, my life would change instantly.

* * *

It was now the exact hour Makoto would be named the new Mizukage and seemed like all my nerves were gone. As I looked on ahead at Makoto, I realized that he worked hard to gain this title and he deserved it. I guess you could say I was proud and as I watched him from where I stood on the ground, I took pride in how far he had gotten and how his skills as a shinobi got him this far. To be given the title of Mizukage was an honor and I could tell how Makoto took it seriously. From where I stood, I could see the hidden happiness behind his eyes and at the moment, it just felt as though things seemed right.

It seemed like all the necessary speeches from the whole council and his father were now over and within moments, all the villagers and I saw his father crown him with the Mizukage hat.

"On behalf of the Village Hidden in the Mist, I grant you, my son, Hamasaki Makoto, the honor to become the next Mizukage. You're strength and knowledge will give this village prominence and power. I entrust in you everything I have done for this village and as I slowly step down from my position, I'm proud to give you the title of the Godaime (5th) Mizukage. May you bring honor upon this village and yourself."

"Arigatou, Mizukage-sama." Said Makoto as he accepted his position and as he turned towards the crowd, I couldn't help but feel his light blue eyes were focusing on me.

But I think I was just seeing things; as I watched him rise up and hold up his right hand, I listened carefully to his speech: "I promise that as the next Mizukage, I will put my life on the line for this village whenever it is in danger. I will protect the people in this village with my life and I will not hesitate in any form. I give my word that I will be a great leader. I will make this village strong and proud."

Several people applauded and as I watched everyone that surrounded me, I saw how they all looked up to him and how, in their eyes, they were proud to have him as their leader as well. Everyone was happy and as I looked back at him, I couldn't help but wonder how I wasn't really celebrating alongside them. Yes, I was cheering and clapping softly, but as I was surrounded by this celebrating atmosphere, I felt alone again; as though I was always alone, but as I quickly composed myself and put a smile on, I quickly left the main square of the village.

As I was about to fully leave, I felt someone tap my shoulder; turning around, I saw that it was a high-leveled Mist jounin. From his attire with his vest and dark colored clothes, I could quickly conclude that he was a special guard for the Mizukage and as I met his gaze, I saw that his face was stern and authoritative.

A strange silence stood between us and as we both stood there just scanning the other, I slowly nodded at him to show that he had my full attention. Once he received my response, he quickly said aloud, "The Godaime Mizukage would like to meet you on the Hamasaki Bridge, just across town. He wanted me to escort you there myself."

"I see; I guess we should go then." I simply replied and gestured at him to show me the way.

At that, the jounin quickly turned his back to me and started moving away; even though he was not moving at a fast pace, I still had trouble keeping up with him because of the long lavender colored kimono I was wearing. I had trouble moving in it and although I almost lost sight of the Jounin a few times, I managed to make it to the bridge with him in one piece.

The bridge was pretty large and was a dark black color. It connected important trading routes for the villagers and I've only been here once, but it was in a nice, calm atmosphere. It was a quiet place to be and as I took some deep breaths as I put my hands on my knees to steady myself, I soon regained my composure. Looking up, I saw that Makoto was waiting for me just as the Jounin had said; he was still wearing his kage robes and as I saw him still looking out onto the horizon, I couldn't help but wonder what he wanted to tell me.

As the shinobi helped me up onto the bridge, I wanted to thank him but as I quickly turned around, I saw that he was already gone. Looking back at the male standing right before me, I saw that he held a lot of wisdom in his orbs and as I watched his dark blue hair move with the wind, I slowly came beside him and waited for him to speak.

"Did you enjoy the ceremony, Hikari?" he asked as he turned to me and gave me his full attention.

"It was something I never experienced before, but yes, I did enjoy it. Congratulations, Makoto-kun; you must feel proud." I said as I gazed at him with my green eyes.

"I am; at first I was nervous at even becoming the village leader, but now I know what it means. I'm supposed to protect those dear to me and Hikari, you are someone that is close to my heart." Makoto said as he softly grabbed my small hand and put it on his chest, by his heart.

I was shocked at his bold action and as I looked back into his eyes, I saw that they had softened. Softening my gaze too, I nodded for him to continue.

"Hikari, people wait their whole life to find out what their goals and dreams are; sometimes they spend eternity pondering about what they want in life, rather than what they need. I've spent most of my life striving to become the next Mizukage. I've always watched how hard my father worked and how much he had to sacrifice to keep this village safe. And now that I've been able to accomplish my dream, I've been able to see through new eyes. I'm no longer blind because right now, I see the most important person in my life standing before me."

"I-I'm flattered, Makoto. That's probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." I replied back as I decided to look out towards the horizon and lean my elbows against the railings of the bridge. I had a suspicion that what was going to come was something that I was preparing myself for the whole day and as I tried to just keep myself occupied by looking out towards the sunset, my attention was quickly turned away from the scene as I heard Makoto move from his spot.

That movement caused me to jump a little on the inside and as I tried to not turn towards him, I couldn't help but direct my attention to him as I watched him pull something out from his pocket and get on one knee.

"Hikari, I don't think I would want to spend a day without you, so would you do me the honor of making me the happiest man alive by marrying me?" As I saw him slowly open a small black box, my eyes widened at the beautiful turquoise gem on the ring inside the box. It was a simple ring with a silver band with a stunning turquoise colored jewel in the middle. It glowed brilliantly in the sunset's light.

I was frozen to the spot. It was as though I couldn't move any muscles in my body and as I stood there shocked, I didn't know what to do. A part of me wanted to make a run for it, to run far away and never look back because I wasn't sure if I was ready for such a big commitment like this.

It's ironic at how I've always imagined about getting married and being proposed to, and the moment that it happened, I was too stunned to even do anything. Nothing came to mind, but the ring that was still in the box seemed to taunt me, as though it knew that I still had insecurities about being with Makoto forever.

All I could do at that moment was try to let out all my pent up frustration within myself and as I tightened my fists until my knuckles turned white, I didn't know what overcame me but I just stood there and started to cry.

I was unleashing all my emotions at once and as I stood there just letting tears fall from my eyes, I tried to calm myself down, but it just didn't work. It seemed as though all those fond memories of my father, my mother, my brother, my grandmother, and my old life came back at me and hit me like how waves hit the shore. It was such strong wave of emotions and as I tried to control myself, old memories of dreaming about how I would find my true love hit me so hard that I couldn't stop it.

I guess I found my decision because seeing how many tears I was letting fall from my face, I definitely wasn't ready for this.

Breaking me from my own emotional state, I suddenly felt strong arms wrap around me and despite how I barely felt any emotional connection between him and I, I wrapped my arms around him too. It was a nice gesture and I felt as though I needed someone there for me. Makoto was the person that was always there for me and he tried his best to make me happy.

Maybe I was thinking through this whole situation wrong. I've been so caught up about myself, being so selfish and never thinking about how he felt, that I didn't realize how much I would hurt him if I refused to marry him.

He loved me, that was certain; I could always see it in his eyes and he took care of me when I needed someone there for me the most. He surely wasn't someone that I was one-hundred percent sure that was my soul mate or true love, but who else did I have to turn to?

If I said no, I'd be hurting him the most and I couldn't bare to do that. Makoto's always been the one trying to make me happy, it would only be right if I made him happy by staying by his side.

I hadn't realized how long he had been holding me in his arms until I suddenly stopped and saw that the sun had fully set. Now it was as dark as ever and as the moon shone down upon the two of us, I heard Makoto whisper soothing words into my ear that seemed to calm me down.

Once I was able to return to my calm stature, I stood before him and noticed that he had returned to his kneeling position, still waiting for my answer.

I still wasn't sure if I'd be able to speak for myself because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to say it. I didn't dare to open my mouth to say anything and as I looked back at him, I knew I was sealing my fate.

Taking a gulp before finally deciding what I would do, I decided to give him my answer.

* * *

**Sorry to leave you guys on a cliff hanger, but I felt that it would be the best way to split the chapter into two. I just decided to do it that way because I felt the chapter would be too long if I combined both parts. So if you want to know what happens next, make sure to review and I'll try my best to get the second part up soon! Review please and tell me what you think will happen next! :) **

**Happy Holidays!**

**-Katara **


	10. Chapter 9 part 2: More Than I Expected

**Well here's the newest installment of _I'll Wait For You_! :) **

**Just in time for the New Year!**

**I hope everyone out there had a great Christmas and holiday and I thought I'd help celebrate the new year by updating once again. **

**So here's the new chapter and reviews are highly encouraged! I do have to warn you that there is some explicit content, which is also why this fanfic was rated M. Just a warning, some lemons are coming up, so if you want to skip it be free too. I will be marking off where it begins and where it ends. **

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* * *

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**Chapter 9 part 2: More Than I Expected**

_Previously: _

_I guess I found my decision because seeing how many tears I was letting fall from my face, I definitely wasn't ready for this. _

_Breaking me from my own emotional state, I suddenly felt strong arms wrap around me and despite how I barely felt any emotional connection between him and I, I wrapped my arms around him too. It was a nice gesture and I felt as though I needed someone there for me. Makoto was the person that was always there for me and he tried his best to make me happy. _

_Maybe I was thinking through this whole situation wrong. I've been so caught up about myself, being so selfish and never thinking about how he felt, that I didn't realize how much I would hurt him if I refused to marry him. _

_He loved me, that was certain; I could always see it in his eyes and he took care of me when I needed someone there for me the most. He surely wasn't someone that I was one-hundred percent sure that was my soul mate or true love, but who else did I have to turn to? _

_If I said no, I'd be hurting him the most and I couldn't bare to do that. Makoto's always been the one trying to make me happy, it would only be right if I made him happy by staying by his side. _

_I hadn't realized how long he had been holding me in his arms until I suddenly stopped and saw that the sun had fully set. Now it was as dark as ever and as the moon shone down upon the two of us, I heard Makoto whisper soothing words into my ear that seemed to calm me down. _

_Once I was able to return to my calm stature, I stood before him and noticed that he had returned to his kneeling position, still waiting for my answer. _

_I still wasn't sure if I'd be able to speak for myself because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to say it. I didn't dare to open my mouth to say anything and as I looked back at him, I knew I was sealing my fate. _

_Taking a gulp before finally deciding what I would do, I decided to give him my answer._

**

* * *

**

I couldn't help but look at him and nod my head yes. My mind was boggled down by so much pain that I was willing to take whatever happiness my life was going to give me. And as I saw the happiness swell into his eyes, he quickly put the ring on my finger. Looking back at him with his soft gaze, he kissed my forehead and as he embraced me again, he brought his lips down onto mine. It was a simple kiss, but at that moment, I relished in the thought of having someone saving me from my sadness and my loneliness, so I kissed back with as much passion as I could give to him.

I felt my hands get tangled in his dark blue hair and it felt as though we were the only two people in this world. After a few more moments, we stopped and took a breath; looking into each other's eyes, I hadn't realized that we were in motion until I noticed that Makoto picked me up and carried me into his arms.

And before I knew it, we were back at his home.

We had quickly passed through his front door and seeing that it was already dark, I had no idea how he was able to carry me into his room. As we both entered into his bedroom, he set me down onto his bed softly as his lips met mine again.

Returning his kiss, I kissed back and as I moved my hands through his blue hair, I felt him slowly push me onto my back. I felt him slowly ravish my body with his hands and as my own breathing sped up, I felt as though my body was betraying my own thoughts. On the inside, I knew I could never grow to love Makoto, but right then and there, I felt the security in my life that I always wanted, so I let him continue.

He soft lips met mine again and as I felt his tongue lick my lower lip, I opened my mouth to welcome him in. Still grabbing onto his hair to push his body closer to me, I felt the strong passion that he held for me inside of him. As we continued to kiss for what felt like eternity, I felt his hand slowly graze over my obi and quickly untie it.

**WARNING! Lemons starting now!: **

It was as though nothing mattered at that moment and as I felt him pull each layer of the kimono from my body, I felt myself slowly become excited by this.

Within moments, my kimono was off and I was only in my undergarments; as I felt his hands move across my bare skin, I shivered at his touch. As we continued to kiss, I felt him slowly peel off my bra, letting my breasts harden from the cold air, and as I felt my panties get pulled off by him as well, I felt exposed, so I quickly tried to cover myself up with my arms. But as I tried to, Makoto quickly stopped me as he held my arms above my head. I saw him look at me with a hint of concern and lust and as I cowered under his gaze, I felt self-conscious of my figure; I didn't have a huge chest, and although I did have curves, I never was that confident about my body. As I still showed that low self-esteem in my eyes, I saw him lift his head and meet up with my green orbs.

Grabbing my chin, Makoto forced me to look at him and as he came closer, close enough for me to feel his hot breath near my ear, he whispered, "Hikari, you're beautiful."

Those words seemed so powerful to me and as I blushed under his gaze, I nodded at his statement. Slowly he let go of my arms and as I looked at him, I failed to notice that his chest was bare to me and he was only wearing a pair of black boxers.

I felt him slowly skim over my body and as I relaxed under his touch, my skin became enflamed by his touch. I decided to be bold as well and as I touched the hard muscles on his chest, I let out a loud moan as I felt him suck on my neck.

Sucking and nipping at the crook of my neck only made me moan even more and as I felt him smirk into my skin, he continued to perform the same action again. At that moment, I couldn't help but grab onto his hair and let the sound come out of my mouth over and over again. As my back arched from the immense pleasure he was giving me, I felt him move lower.

As his tongue flicked across my left breast, I moaned even louder and said his name over and over again as he took one into his mouth. "Ma-makoto…" I said out of breathe as I continued to grab at his hair. "W-w-we're moving too fast."

He lifted his head from where it was and as he looked back at me, he gave me a look of reassurance and cupped my chin; giving me another kiss, I nodded at him to continue.

Continuing at where he left off, Makoto gave my other breast the same attention and as I moaned louder and louder each time, I arched into him again. As I felt my legs wrap around his waist, I felt his manhood behind the black cloth and I was sure my excitement showed in my eyes.

As Makoto met my gaze again, I saw him slowly move away from me and as his boxers came off quicker than my eyes could see, I suddenly blushed at what I was seeing. After all, I was still a virgin and as I felt him smirk at me, he quickly moved towards me.

I felt our skin touch each other and as I felt his mouth move lower and lower down my body, I felt so much passion from him. But as I felt him hover over my womanhood, I started to doubt myself. I felt sorry that I was sort of taking advantage of him and even though I did want to feel loved, I knew this was wrong.

I froze right there and wondered if there was anyway I could get out of this. I felt as though there was no air coming into my lungs, as though I was suffering some sort of panic attack that I couldn't stop from coming.

But as I pondered over at how I would get myself out of this situation this time, I didn't have time to think of a plan as something else entered my own thoughts.

As I felt one of his fingers slowly enter into me, my body betrayed me once again as I arched into his touch and moaned out his name. Taking this as a signal, I felt another finger enter into me and as I felt his fingers make my tight opening a little wider; my toes curled up in pleasure and at that point, I tried to stop myself from showing him any pleasure, but I couldn't help it. I once again grabbed onto his hair, and as I felt a fourth finger enter, it took me over the top and I wouldn't help but moan again.

Moments later, his fingers left my opening, and as I propped myself up by my elbows, I whimpered at the absence of his touch; my orbs showed some sort of desire coming from deep within me apparently and I think he took that look the wrong way. I felt his lips meet mine again and at that exact moment, I felt his manhood slowly fill my opening.

I felt him softly kissing my lips and as I heard him whisper that it would hurt at first, I saw him prepare himself to enter me and break my barrier.

**Ended! It's safe now!**

In my mind, I started panicking and I was afraid that my body would betray me again and allow him to take me there; I didn't know what to think at that moment and as I tried to find the will to speak, nothing came out as I started to cry.

Tears started pouring from my orbs and as I saw him stop through my tears, he was still inside me, but nothing had happened yet. Makoto came closer to my face and as he wiped away each tear, he said aloud, "Hikari…are you all right? If you don't want this, I won't mind. We always have other chances after we get married to try this again." With this, I nodded and as I felt him slowly remove his manhood from my opening, I couldn't help but cry out more as I felt ashamed.

This couldn't have been what I wanted. Makoto was nice and to me, he was probably one of the best males out there, but now, I wasn't too sure if I wanted to lose my innocence to him.

The question for me was if I actually loved him as much as I was trying to tell myself that I did. Love, it's such a simple word, but it has so many standards to it. There's love for your father, your mother, your brother, and your grandmother, but love for your lover is suppose to feel different. And what I was feeling about Makoto didn't feel different at all. I couldn't really describe it, it just wasn't different to me in any way.

I was broken out of my thoughts once again as I sensed Makoto approaching me again and embracing me with his arms. I wanted to find comfort in him and as I nuzzled into the crook of his neck, I listened to his soothing words. "Hikari, it was wrong of me to take advantage of you like this; I know you've been through a lot of pain and suffering and I just want to make you happy. Just know that I will be there for you and protect you no matter what because I love you."

My eyes widened in shock at that statement and I didn't dare to look at his gaze because I was afraid that I would break down again. I always thought when I heard those three words, I would feel happy, as if something was going right in my life, but as of now, I felt even sadder. I had tried to take advantage of him because I wanted all the pain to stop, but now I realized the consequences of my actions. But I couldn't do anything about it because I knew that within time, I would become his wife and there was no turning back because you can't change the past.

Maybe I couldn't do it because I felt ashamed, or maybe it was because it didn't feel right, but whatever reason why I decided to stop, I knew that in the end, people just don't live up to your expectations. Sometimes you wish people would keep their word and be there, but in the end, you find that they're only lies that they use; when you put too much trust and faith in a person, in the end, it's the person that you trust the most that hurts you.

I can't turn back time and take back my own words and actions and I think this was something that I'd have to live with for the rest of my life. What was done was done and now I had to live with the consequences whether I liked it or not.

Life's full of disappointments and nothing you do can ever change that. You can run, you can hide, but in the end, it will always catch up to you. You can't run away from the disappointments forever and despite how you try to build yourself up to prevent yourself from becoming disappointed ever again, it will always happen. You can't become immune to it because it's like a disease that will never go away.

Makoto was my life line; he was someone who could save me from all my pain and although I knew it was wrong to take advantage of him, I couldn't help it. I was selfish in a way and I think in a way, we all are selfish.

We all want the pain to go away and in the end, we all choose someone else who we believe they can take that pain away. But maybe taking advantage of that person isn't the answer; we all need to find our own happiness and I didn't know if I would truly be happy if I stayed at Makoto's side forever.

Even while laying there beside him, I didn't know what to think. All I knew was that while I heard Makoto slowly breathe in and out, signaling that he was asleep, the engagement ring kept haunting me.

Still looking at it as it glared back at me, it was taunting me and even though I tried to close my eyes and try to go to sleep, I couldn't get my own mind off at how deep a hole I was digging for myself. I was only getting deeper and deeper and who knew if there would be a way out.

* * *

**Well I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and sorry it's short. I was intending it to be a little bit longer, but I was just trying to get this chapter out as quickly as possible. I'm pretty happy with it I suppose considering that this was my first lemon I ever wrote. Please don't judge; by the time I was done with this chapter, my face was fully red. Writing scenes like this is new to me, and I actually had trouble with it, so yeah. I guess it didn't turn out as horrible as I expected considering that I had to look at some fanfics on here that dealt with these types of scenes. **

**Well after explaining to you readers out there how I was able to write this, when I had to reread it several times, I was still not comfortable with it seeing that my face kept getting red. **

**As for now, tell me what you think of the chapter! Don't be afraid to review and criticize or review to tell me if you liked it or not. Any review is fine with me. Just helps me become a better writer. **

**As of now, I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year! **

***Confetti throwing* **

**Sincerely, **

**Katara**


	11. Chapter 10: Finding A Silver Lining

**Sorry about the late update and I know I promised I would try to update more, but I've just been really busy with school and so many tests. I'm just surprised I've made it this far. **

**Anyways, here's the new chapter and I really hope you guys enjoy it. I spent a lot of time fixing it (which may explain why it's taken awhile to update) so that I would be happy with the way it came out. For the most part, I'm satisfied with it, and it may sorta be like a filler sort of thing, but for now, I just want to focus on Hikari's emotional state and how she's just breaking down, so that's the reason for this chapter. Also there is a Hikari/Makoto moment, which I enjoyed writing, so I hope you enjoy that. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed typing it up. **

**Without further ado, read on, and remember to review please! :) **

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Chapter 10: Finding A Silver Lining

There are those in life who act as optimists and pessimists; I guess you could say I was a combination of both, but more of a realist. I'd try to see the positives in a situation along with the negatives and maybe that was my problem; I couldn't stick to one side and maybe in this type of situation, I just wished I was more of an optimistic person. Finding a silver lining couldn't hurt, but maybe there was no such thing; maybe it was just some silly proverb parents told to their kids to get their hopes up before life crushed them.

Life's unfair and I was just another pawn in fate's own hands and whereever it took me, I'd willingly go, because truth be told, I wanted to find that silver lining. I'd probably continue on with my life trying to find it, but regardless, I wasn't going to give up.

Spring's supposed to symbolize hope and the start of new beginnings, at least that's what I always thought it was suppose to stand for. I could close my eyes even now and always remember watching the cherry blossoms bloom with my brother and mother and I instinctively remembered the smell of the beautiful flowers. At how each one would open slowly, but then, there'd always be one that was a late bloomer. One that wouldn't bloom in the same moment that all the rest did, but one that, in time, would bloom and be the most beautiful out of them all. Something about that flower spoke to me; not because of its beauty entirely, but because it just needed time to grow. It just needed the time to fully bloom and the beauty of it all was that it always managed to bloom just like the rest. It's as though it was able to make it through all the hardships of the winter and come to persevere. It served as a message for me and despite whatever situation I was stuck in, I'd always come to think about it and try to make myself see the silver lining.

But I guess whatever happened from this point onward, I'd just have to face whatever was ahead of me and hope for the best. At least, that's what I've been trying to do up to this point, and it couldn't get any worse, could it?

* * *

It had only been a few weeks since Makoto asked me to marry him and I guess within those few weeks, the entire village knew about our engagement. It was strange at first; for the first few moments I'd go outside, people seemed to stare at me as though I had two heads or something and eventually I just heard bits and pieces of their conversations and finally was able to piece it all together. I just felt as though I was being watched every moment I went outside and it just felt uncomfortable as if a pair of eyes was always following me.

All the attention that I was given during those weeks was overwhelming to say the least. It was as though I was the hottest celebrity out there and everywhere I went at least one person wanted to ask me what it was like to be with their new Mizukage.

I didn't know that becoming the Mizukage's fiancée would come with so much attention. Sometimes, all I wanted was to be left alone and get away from all the pressure that came with being engaged to Makoto and just find my own way of getting noticed.

* * *

Another day in my life has passed and as I was thankful that it was getting warmer around here, I was glad to be out of the house and enjoy the nice fresh air. It was one of those rare clear days where I could fully see the sun and clouds up in the light blue sky.

Maybe this was a sign that things would get better and as I looked up at the sky again, I saw several birds flying back. I guess it was their time to return from their migration, but what it signaled for me was that there was some other type of life form out there rather than just the people of this village.

It was a nice change of pace from the cold winters that took place in the Hidden Mist Village. I could feel the sun's rays hit my skin and warm me up, but that didn't entirely mean that it was as warm as it usually was back in my home. During these times I would wear nice spring dresses and run throughout the small town liking the feeling of the warm sun, but here, I was still wearing a forest green long-sleeved shirt and some pants, although I was thankful I wasn't shivering at all.

For the first time in months, I was smiling and maybe it was partly due to the change in weather that was causing me to feel better, but I really didn't know. It was probably the best I've ever felt like in months and as I made my way towards one of my favorite spots in the village, the marketplace, I tried to ignore all the attention that the villagers were making as I made my way towards one of the stalls.

This certain stall sold one of my favorite foods, dango, and I thought it was the best place in town. Makoto actually took me here when he found out it was one of my favorite desserts and this place always seemed to hold great memories for me.

Just the smell and the calm atmosphere of the entire place made me feel as though I was back home. I tried to go as much as I could, so much that the owner knew my usual order and always greeted me with a kind smile. It was just a nice change of pace so as I slowly entered the place, I took a seat at a small wooden table.

Taking the time to look around the place, it was still the same as I always remembered it to be. And as my gaze shifted to the nice old man, Hiroshi, who was the owner of the place, I kindly smiled at him and waved hello.

Nodding and acknowledging me, I saw him wave back and quickly begin to prepare my favorite dish.

A few moments later, I sensed him approaching my table and as I watched him set down my plate of dango and a cup of tea before me, I looked up at him and thanked him for the food.

"Arigato, Hiroshi-sama." I said aloud and as bowed and thanked him.

"No one is on the house, Hikari. It's not everyday that I get to serve the future Lady Mizukage, now is it?" he replied back.

I sheepishly smiled up at him and as it took a moment for me to reply back, I slowly nodded and said, "R-right. Thank you again."

Nodding his head at me, he responded back with, "Enjoy your meal, Hikari."

When he left me alone, I didn't really know what to feel. It felt as though I was empty, as though the only association these people could make of me was the title of the 'mizukage's fiancée' or the 'future Lady Mizukage.' I never wanted people to know me just as that kind of person because I was more than that.

Sometimes I'd wish that these people would take the time to know the real me. Even back at my old home, most of the people never knew me. They only referred to me as the princess and it bothered me most of the time. I mean I wasn't exactly appalled if they called me that, but it's just that I wished that they'd see me as someone else.

All this unwanted attention from them was just due to me being engaged to Makoto and I just felt as though I was someone who was just a soul roaming this earth alone. I felt like I had no one who would care about me; no one who knew what I was going through and I just wanted to find someone I could confide my feelings to. That's all I wanted in this world and even now, it seemed like I was asking for too much.

Coming out of my own thoughts, I realized my cup of tea was already cold and as I looked back at the dango now on my plate, I didn't know if I was hungry anymore. It was my favorite dessert and never once in my life did I deny myself from eating it, but I wasn't even in the mood for it. And that further only told me enough about how I was feeling at the moment.

I was stuck in a daze, surrounded by strange people who I didn't know and as I tried to keep my composure, I slowly reached for some dango on my plate and slowly raised it to my mouth, trying to eat and forget about what had just happened. But as I tried to free my mind from my worries, I overheard whispers about me throughout the whole stall:

"That's her isn't it? She's the one that's going to be the future Mizukage's wife."

"She must be something then if our new Mizukage loves her that much. I can't imagine how she must feel. She must be the happiest girl alive."

They both just didn't know just how wrong they were; I wasn't happy about the situation I was in, in fact, I was far from happy. Maybe I was bordering on a form of depression, but I didn't know how I felt about this anymore.

There was only so little time left that I had in which I could possibly keep this façade up, and I think I was finally reaching my limit.

I hadn't realized how much this engagement was affecting me until now when I actually overheard them talking about it. It hurt a lot because I felt helpless, as though I didn't know what to do with myself.

I hadn't realized that I was crying until I saw a teardrop hit the ground and form a sphere-like shape. But I didn't care at that moment because all I wanted to do was run off and find a place where I could be by myself.

Getting up abruptly from the table and letting my snow white hair fall over my face to hide my tears, I quickly exited the stall, leaving my plate of dango unfinished.

I had let my feet guide me throughout the whole village and as I tried my best to hide my tears, I just kept on running until my body screamed at me to stop.

By the time my legs grew tired, I had fallen down onto my knees, taking in some heavy breaths. My lungs felt as though they were going to break down and as I just sat there crying my heart out, I didn't know what to do anymore.

It was becoming too much to handle on my own. I just wanted all of this to disappear or I just wanted to disappear myself.

I think after awhile, I just ran out of tears to cry out and as I silently sat there trying to wipe away the evidence of my crying, I looked up from where I sat and came across a small lake.

I was looking at my own reflection and just seeing the redness already forming around my eyes for crying too much, I didn't know if I liked what I saw.

Truth be told, I was a complete mess. I looked broken down as if I'd taken so many beatings from life and I didn't look that healthy at all. I looked fragile as if I could fully break at any moment and it would probably take just a small action to fully destroy me.

As I was looking back at my own reflection, all I could think about was this marriage that was going to take place soon. The ring that was now on my ring finger seemed to haunt me every time I looked at it. What was I doing and what did I get myself into? I couldn't possibly call if off now because then I'd be hurting him and then people would start talking.

I didn't know how I'd get myself out of this predicament because no matter how much I hoped that someone out there would save me, I knew that no one would hear my pleas for help.

* * *

By the time I managed to compose myself and deem that my appearance was satisfactory enough for me to go out in public again, I silently made my way back to the main part of the village.

There was still some light out and as I looked up at the horizon, the bright colors of the sunset were beginning to set in. The scene managed to calm me down a bit and as pondered what I would do at the moment, I came to the conclusion that I didn't want to be alone.

I didn't want to go to Makoto's home and just wait for him to come home, therefore I just decided to try to find him and maybe just seeing someone I knew would make me feel better. Despite how I was deciding to walk into the center of all my emotional turmoil, he was the only person who I could find comfort in at the time and maybe I just needed his company to make me feel better.

With that thought in mind, my feet guided me towards the Mizukage tower, but the walk there wasn't easy at all. In reality, it felt so long and it felt as though my feet were just dragging my whole body along for the ride.

Before I knew it, I was in front of his office and as I softly knocked upon the large wooden door, I waited a few moments for him, but I heard nothing.

Quickly panicking I abruptly opened the door to his office and realized that the lights were off and that Makoto was nowhere to be seen. Trying to not skip to conclusions, I tried to think about where else he would be and at that moment, it hit me.

Makoto would always either be in his office or be in his own training grounds and as I quickly ran out of the office at the fastest pace I could manage, I didn't know how long it took me to reach the training grounds. But before I knew it, I was already there and saw that he was training.

He was fighting against a Mist Jounin and as I took a seat on a wooden bench and watched them both fight it out using only taijutsu, I was amazed at how graceful fighting could be. The speed at which Makoto moved at and each of his movements whether they were offensive or defensive seemed fluid; as though each one was like a dance move that followed one after the other. Makoto didn't seem like the type of person who would waste even one move on his opponent and I could clearly see it through his movements. Each one had a purpose and each one moved with the other in a perfect balance.

I was completely mesmorized by his actions and as I watched him trip to the ground, their battle finally ended. His opponent managed to get back onto his feet as Makoto quickly disappeared from his opponent and reappeared behind him with a kunai held near his throat, at that moment, I knew that signaled the end of their fight.

As both shinobi stepped back away from each other, I watched as both bowed to each other to show each other their respect before both walked away.

I watched as Makoto walked towards me and as he stopped before me I saw him slowly nod and acknowledge my presence.

Standing up to greet him as well, I felt him grab my hand and kiss me softly on the lips before releasing me from his grasp.

I was somewhat shocked at his action, but as I quickly got rid of my surprise, I watched him as he grabbed a towel out from his bag and wiped the sweat off from his body.

I could see that he'd been working hard ever since he became the Mizukage and as I watched him slowly just look out towards the horizon, I quickly grabbed his canteen of water and held it out towards him.

Feeling that his attention was on me as his dark navy orbs turned towards me, I decided I should be the first one to start the conversation: "You shouldn't overexert yourself like that."

As he slowly took it out from my reach, I watched him open it and drink some water before he replied back:

"Hikari, you don't have to worry about me. Even though I am the Mizukage now, I can always learn how to improve and just get stronger. I have to be ready for any danger that comes our way."

Thinking over his words before I replied, I understood where he was coming from. I suppose in the ninja world you always had to be prepared because there could always be someone out there who could be stronger than you.

"I suppose, but that doesn't mean that you don't deserve some rest every once in awhile." I replied back as I hesitantly ruffled his hair and tried to be as affectionate as I possibly could.

"I'll be fine, Hikari, but thank you for your concern." Makoto responded back as he looked at me and gave me a smile of reassurance.

Nodding at his response, I decided to just to leave the discussion at that. I enjoyed the silence that now stood between us and it was always moments like these that I felt like I could make it through this and perhaps learn to love Makoto. He never urged me or pressured me into doing anything and as I looked at him thinking about how our future would be tied together very soon, I was just confused about everything. I didn't know what to do anymore, but Makoto was the type of guy who was just I suppose, great. There seemed to be nothing wrong with him and in just one word, he seemed perfect. And that wasn't a bad thing, but having someone like him with me was just a strange concept to me. For as far as I knew, I was far from being considered perfect; if I could describe myself, I would say I was more of a disaster. I was beyond confused, had a pretty messed up life up until now, and to top it off, I was just making my life even harder for myself. So as far as I could tell, we were complete opposites, but I guess maybe opposites do attract. But then again if that were true, I shouldn't have been doubting this marriage in the first place.

"So what are you doing here? You usually wait for me at home." Stated Makoto as he turned towards me and looked at me with a look of concern. That question broke me out of my own thoughts and as I turned towards him, I took a moment before responding to his question.

"It's nothing….I just felt too lonely at home. I just thought I would feel much better if I had your company; that's all." I replied back as I tried to avert my gaze from his.

As I felt his arms encircle my waist and pull me in to allow my head to rest on his chest, I felt slightly comforted by the fact that he cared. I just wasn't sure if I felt the same though.

"Well how about I just take the day off tomorrow then? We can just have time to ourselves and enjoy each other's company. I mean, we are planning to get married in about 3 months, so we should take the time to just get to know each other and become closer." I heard Makoto say as I continued to lay my head in his chest.

Looking up at him with my green orbs, I slowly nodded my head and gave him a small smile. As I felt him embrace me again and kiss me softly on the top of my head, I let him slowly get me back onto my feet as we both left the training grounds.

I just kept looking forward and thinking about how nice it was to just be in his arms; I didn't want to look back and think about how deep of a hole I was digging for myself because at the moment, the warmth of someone else who truly cared about me was all I wanted at the moment.

I've cried too much in my lifetime and maybe now all I had to do was suck it up and try to put on a tough façade because no matter how much I'd try to convince myself I was better off with this life, I wasn't sure if I even truly believed in it myself.

* * *

**The next day:**

Everything was going great and just like a man of his word, Makoto did take the day off from his work to just spend the time with me. I think things were changing for me and maybe I was just one step closer to finding this silver lining in this entire mess.

It started off just like a normal day; we both woke up at the same time, had a nice breakfast together and then we both set off for an enjoyable day.

Makoto hadn't really told me the specifics of what we were doing, but all he told me was that I should dress casually and as far as I was concerned, all I thought we were doing was just taking a stroll around the village.

Truthfully, I didn't know where he was taking me because I was completely blindfolded, but I trusted him enough to lead me to wherever he wanted to take me.

I was a bit impatient as I felt him dragging me for such a long time that it felt as though we had circled the entire village at least 5 times until we finally stopped.

As I felt Makoto's hands on my shoulders, positioning me towards some direction, I felt the blindfold disappear from my sight as my eyes came across a small waterfall.

I was awed at how beautiful it was and as I slowly stepped back to admire the beauty of the entire scene, I had quickly forgotten that I wasn't alone until I heard Makoto's voice.

"Looks like you like the surprise." Makoto had said as he playfully smirked at me.

Turning my attention towards him, I quickly nodded and replied back with, "Makoto, how did you find a place like this?"

"I've lived in this village my whole life, Hikari. I've known about his place for the longest time. I just wanted to find the right time to show it to you." He replied as he slowly took my hand in his.

Softly smiling at him and squeezing his hand to show my happiness, I responded back with, "Arigato, Makoto-kun. This means a lot to me. It reminds me of home actually. I always remembered playing with my brother around the waterfalls and he'd somehow always manage to walk on top of the water. Of course I've always wanted to learn, but I never was really good at it." I had said as I slightly laughed at a silly memory of a 10-year old me trying to walk on top of the water, but failing miserably at it.

"If you really wanted to learn, I could teach it to you. I mean you have some experience with chakra control don't you?" Makoto had said as he turned towards me and attempted dragging me towards the water.

"What?" I said as I was shocked at his response. I stopped directly in my own footsteps and as I turned towards Makoto with my jaw nearly dropping, it took me a few more moments before I continued on. "Makoto, I-I don't think I could possibly try it now. I mean all the chakra control I've had was with the traditional dance all the women of my village have to learn. Other than that, I wouldn't call it experience. I mean I'm not a shinobi so I doubt that my chakra control is as advanced as it needs to be."

Raising a brow at me as if questioning my sanity or something along those lines, Makoto sighed and replied back with, "Hikari, this type of exercise can be mastered by a genin, so there's really no need for your chakra control to be that advanced. Along those lines, your chakra control is better than most genin I've seen. And Hikari, I think you can do it, there's no reason to be scared."

'Scared?' He thought I was scared? Well truth be told, I wasn't exactly scared about the idea of trying to walk on top of the water, but I think I was more afraid of the concept of drowning more than anything. Don't get me wrong, I do know how to swim, but only the basics; other than that, I doubted I'd be able to survive if there was any strong currents around. And maybe that small fear was holding me back.

"I-I'm not scared. It's just that, if I fall, then my clothes will get wet, and then I'll catch a cold. And plus, Makoto, I'm not dressed properly for something like this." I swiftly replied back.

"Come on, Hikari. Just try it. If it makes you feel better I'll be out there on the water with you. And if you fall, I'll be sure to catch you." He had said as he held out his own hand for me to take.

At first, I was hesitant to grab his hand; just watching it just hanging out there waiting for me to grab it made me nervous. I was just contemplating how this whole scenario could result in and each thought only made me want to doubt myself even more. I think the worst scenario would be me falling into the water, drowning, and then dying without even knowing what it was like to love someone else and have a family. But as I thought over the may possibilities of how I would get out of this, I decided to just take the chance because what other chances did I have to learn this? I guess that was the only reason I decided to be brave for this moment at least.

Slowly nodding at him to signal that I was ready, I grabbed Makoto's hand and I felt Makoto slowly lead me towards the water. And as I watched him go towards the shallow end and walk on top of the water first, he still held onto my hand, waiting for me to come with him.

"Wait, Makoto. How am I suppose to walk on water if you haven't even shown me how to do it yet?" I asked as I hesitantly watched him just stand there on top of the water.

"Don't worry about it. I have enough chakra to keep us both on top of the water. Once you get on here, I'll tell you the proper technique and then you can try it for yourself." He responded back as he waited patiently for me to step forward.

I didn't know if I wanted to move at that point, but as I took small baby steps towards the shallow water, I felt determination flow throughout my body. And before I knew it, I was standing atop the water with Makoto. Of course it was more like me hanging onto him for dear life, but still I guess I could say it was somewhat an improvement.

Chuckling at my antics, Makoto held firmly onto my hand as I faced him.

"Hikari, the first step in doing this is clearing your mind. You have to focus your chakra in the soles of your feet and find a balance. Using too much chakra will cause you to completely break through the surface of the water and using too little will cause the same thing." Makoto had explained

As I slowly nodded, I closed my eyes and tried to focus as much as I could. Feeling my chakra surge to the soles of my feet, I felt Makoto slowly let go of me.

Just as I opened my eyes and thought that I had finally gotten the hang of this, I felt my feet break through the surface of the water. I felt my body slowly slipping under the surface and just as I was just about to let out a scream, I felt two strong arms pull me up before the water reached my waist.

Unfortunately for me, the bottom half of my body was wet and as I stood there atop of the water shivering, I was being held into Makoto's chest. I was just thankful that there was a source of warmth for me and as I tried my best to ignore the cold, I looked up at him and noticed that he was chuckling at me.

Pouting as I looked up at him, I guess I could understand why he was laughing because the scene of me screaming and almost completely falling into the water was probably a funny sight. But still, it wasn't funny that I was shivering from the cold.

After stopping his laughing, I felt Makoto was still holding me up just after saving me from completely falling into the water. After a few more moments of silence, Makoto quickly broke it as he said, "You're using too much of your chakra. Try to feel the movement of your own chakra and react to it. Like I said before, you have to try to find a balance."

"I'll try my best, Makoto. Thanks for catching me." I replied as I slowly stepped back.

Still feeling him hold onto my hand for support, I tried to focus on the amount of chakra I was sending to the bottoms of my feet. And it was as though I could truly feel the movement of my chakra within my body and as I felt Makoto slowly release his grip onto me, I realized that I was on top of the water.

I had finally managed to find a balance. And as I looked up to see the proud smile that now adorned Makoto's face, I couldn't help but smile back as well.

I was beyond excited and as I jumped up and down in joy on top of the water, I just couldn't hide my excitement.

"Makoto! Makoto! Look! I did it!" I had exclaimed as I continued to jump up and down.

Still smiling at me, I saw him nod at approval and as I watched him slowly try to grab me to calm me down, I continued on with my own little celebration.

"Hikari, I think you should stop." Makoto had said as he tried to grab onto my shoulders and try to keep me still. "You may have managed to control your chakra right now, but you might lose focus and make us fall."

I didn't completely hear what Makoto had said and as I abruptly stopped just in time for Makoto to hold onto me, I had realized my mistake. I had completely stopped focusing my own chakra and as I felt myself slowly grab onto the nearest person, I felt myself slowly fall into the water with Makoto falling in beside me as well.

I felt myself fall into the water and get completely soaked. It was a refreshing feeling to say the least, but I couldn't forget how cold it would be once I got out and met the windy breeze of the afternoon. That's why I was a bit hesitant to resurface, but seeing that I needed to break through he surface for some fresh air, I had no choice. So within a few more moments, I quickly swam towards the surface just in time to get the fresh air of the forest back into my lungs.

As I broke through the surface and took several breaths of oxygen into my lungs, I noticed that Makoto had already swam up and was just waiting for me as he was wading in the water.

I turned towards him and at that moment, I didn't know what was going on with me, but when I looked back at Makoto's wet appearance with his hair sticking in all sorts of directions, I couldn't help but laugh. His dark hair looked as though it was defying gravity and the look on his face was a bit of annoyance, probably from my laughter, but it only further fueled the fire to my laughter.

For a moment, that noise sounded foreign to me, but as I continued on with my laughter, Makoto joined in with me. It felt nice for a change to laugh considering that I hadn't in awhile. And it just felt nice to feel a bit happier than I have been recently. I guess laughter truly was the best medicine because I felt a lot better falling into the water than I thought I would.

As our laughter died down, Makoto nodded at me, signaling that we should probably get out before we both get sick. And as I nodded back at him, we both swam towards the coast towards land.

Within a few minutes, we managed to both get out of the water and try to dry ourselves off as much as we could.

My long-sleeved shirt and my pants were fully soaked and my hair was drenched with water. I was trying my best to squeeze off the excess water from my clothes and my hair and after a few moments, I deemed that it was dry enough for me. Or at least, it was as dry as I could get it.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw that Makoto had managed to dry off his clothes and hair a lot faster than I did and as I slowly approached him and sat down beside him, I enjoyed the silence between us as we just looked out towards the waterfall.

A few moments later, I was the first to break the silence with, "Arigato, Makoto-kun. This means a lot. Thanks for teaching me and just taking me here. It's been a great day."

"No need to thank me, Hikari. I figured you needed something like this to get your mind off of things. I just keep thinking that something's been bothering you that you're not willing to tell me." Makoto had said as he turned towards me.

I wasn't prepared to look him in the eye yet because I was afraid that I'd tell him the truth and break his heart, so I just tried to avert my gaze from his. "It's nothing, Makoto. I've just been feeling lonely since I don't have that much to do."

"Well then, you're free to visit me when I'm working whenever you want." He said as I saw a smile appear on his lips.

Nodding at his statement, I was thankful that he bought my lie. I didn't want to tell him the truth and I wasn't completely lying to him considering that I did feel lonely. But I couldn't tell him the truth because I was just afraid that I'd hurt him too much in the end.

Just trying to distract him from asking further questions, I quickly replied back with, "You're a nice person, Makoto. Sometimes I wonder if a person like me deserves someone like you." I stated as I continued to look off towards the waterfall.

I truly felt at peace here and I was just hoping that we'd leave that discussion just at that, but I was wrong.

I didn't realize that Makoto had scooted closer to me as we both continued to sit on the grass, but as I felt him turn my chin and force me to look at him, I could see a bit of seriousness behind the words he was about to say: "Hikari, you may not realize it, but you've changed me into a better person. I think I owe my own gratuity to you. You're a better person that you give yourself credit for. You should never doubt yourself."

I didn't know what to say to that, but all I did was nod and think over his words. I didn't want to say anything that may anger him or annoy him, so the next words I said aloud, I had to carefully think over them in my head before saying them.

"Thanks, Makoto. But how did I change you?" I asked as I finally turned and faced him.

Looking up at me and meeting my gaze, the dark-haired male replied with, "You changed me more than you know. I've never felt more emotionally connected to someone than I do when I'm with you. You're my precious person, Hikari. And I will do everything in my power to protect you."

Those words truly touched my heart and I truly didn't know how they would affect me. Maybe it was all the lies that I was feeding myself that caused me to shed some tears right at that moment or maybe it was just the guilt I was feeling. But whatever it was, I didn't know anymore.

I couldn't stop myself and as I felt Makoto pull me towards him and wipe my tears away from my face, I wasn't expecting his next action.

I felt his lips meet mine and as I felt all the passion behind this simple gesture I wasn't sure how I should respond. For a moment, I didn't respond at all as I let him continue to kiss me, but after awhile, I tried my best to pull off my own role and move my lips against his.

Still, even after we parted, it felt as though nothing would ever be the same again because I've dug such a deep ditch for myself that I couldn't possibly get out of it. It was now more of a black endless abyss rather than an ordinary hole that someone could dig with a shovel.

I truly was lost now because I didn't know what I could do anymore. I was in too deep in this situation that I couldn't possibly handle it anymore.

I felt that each time he kissed me, it just felt empty. I knew he cared because I could tell that he did with all his heart. But up until now, I've continued on with my life and tried to ignore that nagging feeling in my head, despite how I knew that voice was right all along.

Each day, I saw that Makoto was willing to do anything for me, and I knew from the start he was a great guy. But for some reason, each time he touched me or tried to show his affection towards me, I felt a bit repulsed. His kisses felt like nothing; no fireworks, no bells, just a simple kiss that you may receive from a relative on your cheek. I thought it would be amazing to marry someone like him; someone who is strong, charming, and intelligent, but I guess I was wrong. He had power, but what I knew he would never have, would be my heart; I watched him and I saw the happiness in his eyes to have me by his side. He was the only person who was there for me despite everything that had happened and I couldn't bare to leave his side. What kind of person would I be if I abandoned him now? I would probably be the worst kind of person; I'd be like a piece of trash or more like scum if I did that.

It's strange, you think you care about that person only because he was always there for you; you start to lie to yourself and tell yourself you're in love with him, but that only hurts you even more. That's what I'm doing right now; my own decision to marry him was a complete lie; I'm hiding behind all that hurt, all that pain that haunts me each night and I sometimes wish it would go away. I sometimes stay up late at night and think back at how I should've just stayed with Akio and died alongside him. But if it's one thing I learned from him was to always be strong and to not let life get you down, but it's different when he was still alive. When people are gone, you realize that their words almost mean nothing; my father always said I would find my true love one day just like he had found his, but he's wrong. Those words are pointless now because I've already sealed my fate. My mother always told me you could take destiny into your own hands, but what did she know? She got her happy ending, and I'll never have mine.

Like I said before, fate can be cruel and heartless and despite how we all try to find that silver lining, it's too far away for our reach. Heading towards something that's too far away is useless, and in the end, we're all heading towards a life we never wanted. It was only because fate already planned our lives and it seemed like fate was just trying to make my life worse each and every day.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Review please! I hope to hear from all of you soon and hopefully I can get chapter 11 out as soon as possible. I promise you that there will definitely be more action in the next chapter. **

**Thanks, **

**Katara**


	12. Chapter 11: Trouble's Brewing

**Hikari: **Yes! Finally an update! She's alive!

**Me: **Yeah, I'm alive. Just been up to so many things.

**Hikari**: Really? Like what? Things that are more important than updating my story?

**Me**: -_- Like family and college.

**Hikari:** ...

**Me:** *Sigh* I guess you're giving me the silent treatment now. Well at least I'm updating now! :D

**Hikari:** I guess... *eye roll*

**Me**: Well just be glad I don't end up getting rid of you from this story. Don't forget who holds all the power here, me, the writer.

**Hikari:** O_O Someone slept on the wrong side of the bed. And fine, I'll be more grateful next time.

**Me:** Thank you! That's all I ask of you. :)

**Sorry for such a late update. I know, I know, I said time and time again that I would try to update sooner, and I'm so so sorry. I've been pretty busy with the family and school orientation and such and when I do have free time, I try to spend it relaxing. But I realize I should try to think ahead and think about how I should update my stories considering that it's been quite awhile. Then again, I've had some writer's block on some of the plots to my stories. I just need to plan better. **

**For those of you waiting for more updates for this story and the others, I'm trying to get them out as soon as possible. Please be patient with me, and I promise that you won't regret it. I haven't worked on the chapters in awhile, so I'm going to have some trouble with getting back into it, but at the same time, I want all my chapters to be up to my highest standards for you guys. I don't want to submit something that's bad for you guys, so just please be patient with me. **

**So I hope my readers/viewers are still out there. Enjoy the new chapter, and please give me feedback. I'm always willing to hear what you guys think and see if I need to improve on anything. **

**P.S. I have no idea how a Japanese wedding works, so I settled for more of an American one. **

* * *

**Chapter 11: Trouble's Brewing **

In life, there's always those people who tell you that you'll be safe in their arms and that nothing could bring harm to you. And as a child, I believed that because I was that naïve. I always remembered my brother telling me that he'd always be there for me and how he'd always be there when I was in trouble, but now I know that's all a lie.

Because sometimes people say that they'll always be there for you and you tend to believe in it yourself because you want to believe in those words. You want to feel safe and secure and know that they'll always be there for you when you need them, but sometimes when you put such high expectations like that on someone, they can let you down. And when they do, that's what hurts the most. I sometimes find it ironic how time and time again, I continue to believe in these words that people tell me constantly. Maybe it's because I want to believe in the good that everyone has inside, but somehow, I always find myself being let down. It's sad, but I guess that's life, but at times, I wish it was different.

People grow apart, they lose touch, and then we find ourselves not knowing who we are and questioning who we really are. But even in my darkest times, I would always turn to Akio because he'd always be there for me and even not physically now, but in spirit.

But at times, it was hard to believe in Akio being here in spirit because people around me would always seem to let me down.

People always tell us what to do in life, and while their advice is helpful, it's always helpful to listen to your gut; that feeling that you sense from your intuition is always right and maybe once in awhile, you should stray from what others try to tell you because in the end, you're the one who has your back.

But you always find yourself wanting another's support or confirmation of your beliefs before you continue on with believing in it. Because let's face it, we live to please people. We don't want to end up like social outcasts who are believed to be crazy and then become ostracized by the very society we live to please.

Because in the end, if you're alone, what use are you to others then?

* * *

I wasn't fully sure what caused me to feel a bit uptight or worried these past few days. Maybe it was the numerous amounts of count downs I would always have in my head of how close my wedding day was getting as the days just passed on by. Or perhaps it was the mere fact that I continued to have the same nightmare or dream over and over again. And in the end, I would always wake up in a sweat.

I couldn't help but feel as though something bad was going to happen. Well, at the very least, bad luck always seemed to surround me, so I guess the fact that bad things were going to happen to me should not be a surprise anymore.

This feeling of anxiousness started up a few weeks ago and continued on for awhile because I seemed to have the same nightmare or dream, well whatever you want to call it, over and over again.

_Dream: _

_It was dark. The atmosphere was full of despair and as more and more smoke littered the blue sky, it became harder and harder to see and breathe. _

_I stood in the middle of the chaos and my ears continued to ring as several screams and explosions filled the area._

_I felt alone because I was. _

_No one was around me. People continued to run and scatter, not even giving me a second glance as they wanted to save themselves. _

_I didn't know what caused me to move, but I made my way through the crowd without looking back. _

_My feet led me towards the smoke and I had no idea what motivated me to go directly towards the source of all this commotion. _

_I only realized I reached the smoke when my eyes began to water from the immense amount of ash and when I started a coughing fit. _

_It almost became too much to handle but before I fully allowed my body to pass out from the amount of smoke getting in my vision and into my lungs, I glanced back and recalled seeing a large white bird flying above me in the distance. _

_End of dream. _

To say the least, at first, I didn't know what to make of this dream or nightmare. But time and time again, it kept recurring to the point where I didn't want to fall asleep because I was afraid I would discover something else that I didn't want to know.

I suppose I was afraid to go further into my dream because I didn't want to see anymore destruction.

It was too much for me to see something else get destroyed, so I didn't even bother trying to tell anyone about it. Because let's be truthful, the only person I could talk to would be Makoto, and I didn't want to add extra pressure to his job than there already was.

So for the past few weeks, I've kept to myself and tried to act normal. Well as normal as I could ever be and just kept to myself.

This isolating myself idea was a good plan at the beginning, but as days passed, I found myself becoming more jittery, tired, and alarmed.

I really did need to talk to someone, but I continued to keep my mouth shut because I didn't want to be a burden to anyone.

I never wanted people to worry about me and why should I be the one to complain about things when I have a life that is so much better than most people?

That's because I shouldn't be complaining. Which was why I kept my mouth shut.

Other things were coming onto my plate faster than I could even focus on. And as the days and days went by, I counted down the days that my fate would be sealed.

* * *

It was finally the day; the day that I had been dreading for such a long time, my wedding day. Most girls my age would normally be happy on their wedding day as they would be marrying their one true love and live happily ever after, but for me, this day was going by too quickly.

I felt myself go through the day in a routine-like fashion and as I was now standing before a body-length mirror, getting a spring green obi tied around my waist, the finishing touches to my look was ready.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I could see that all the preparation had paid off as all the make-up and the glitz and glam of it all covered up my sleep deprived face. They had managed to put some color on my cheeks to make it look natural and as I stared back at my reflection, I realized that my green orbs seemed a little bit more lively than they usually were.

My overall appearance worked with my look as well. I was dressed in the traditional white wedding kimono that had intricate silver and gold details of cherry blossoms and cranes on the print and topped off with a spring green obi that made my green orbs pop.

Around my neck was the same necklace my brother gave to me before I left him behind. And as I looked back at the silver piece of jewelry, I tried my best to hold back the tears. If I was planning on crying anytime soon, I couldn't bare to do so because I would end up crying and ruining the make-up on my face that took up the whole day to do.

As of right now, I didn't know how or what I should feel. I suppose I felt empty at the moment and as I continued to stand upon the pedestal before the mirror, I tried to calm myself down as I took slow and steady breaths.

I was nervous, more nervous than I've ever been, even when I was in a life or death situation. And as I looked at the sapphire ring that now was on my ring finger, it only caused me to feel more anxious to what lied ahead for me.

Just looking back at my reflection once more, I wanted to see that confidence I used to have; that smile I always had back when I was home and as those memories continued to plague my mind, I couldn't help but take a step back.

I felt all those grand memories hit me right away and as my mind jumped from one to the next, I just hoped more of those memories lyed in my future.

Thinking about what was soon to happen, I realized that it was inevitable. I couldn't stop this marriage even if I tried and I guess it was time to accept my fate and surrender.

I guess you could call me a person who liked to give up easily when things weren't going my way and in this instance, I was ready to just give in and surrender once and for all.

But for once, I just wished that this marriage would not happen. But who's to say that wishes come true.

I've made several wishes in my lifetime and look at where it's gotten me.

Nowhere.

I wasn't happy nor was I sad, but I wanted to be content. I wanted to have what other people get to experience in their lives.

I wanted so much more than what I was getting at the moment.

But let's face it, I'm being selfish.

All Makoto wanted was to marry me and I couldn't bare to let that go. I knew that if I ever stepped away from him and told him no, I couldn't bare to look at him in the eyes and see that pained expression on his face.

So I guess it was now or never.

My fate is sealed and I'm only hoping that this leap of faith I was going to take would pay off in the future.

* * *

I stood before the mirror for who knows how long, but as a voice broke me out of my thoughts, I quickly turned towards the right to address the person.

"Hikari-hime, you look lovely."

"Arigato, Ayame-san." I replied as I turned towards the brunette maid and gave her a small smile for her compliment.

"You should be happy on this day, Hikari-hime. You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. I'm sure you'll be happy with Makoto." Ayame had said as she held my cheek and caught a tear that I hadn't realized had fallen from my eye.

"I-I am happy. I'm just a bit nervous."

"Well that's natural to feel on your wedding day, Hikari-hime." Responded the brunette. "It's time that you head off. Makoto will be waiting for you at the end of the aisle. Be careful not to trip, Hikari-hime."

"H-hai. Arigato Ayame-san." I had replied as my feet slowly moved my body towards the door and into the hallway.

As I made my way through the hallway, time seemed to still and it just felt endless.

A part of me was dreading what was to come, but another part of me was holding onto a bit of hope that my life with him would be great if I gave it a chance.

I had no idea how long it took me to reach the large wooden door because I frankly just tried to have my mind wander off into different topics.

I was nervous. I didn't like how so many things were uncertain. Although I didn't realize this until I felt a numbness in my knuckles as my fingernails made small indents on my palms.

I felt like I was in a daze; so much in fact, I didn't realize that I was about to step into the room and walk down the aisle until one of the maids had asked if I was ready.

Slowly nodding my head, I stood still as I watched the two maids open the large oak doors.

Before me there was an aisle way that would lead me to the altar. And at the end of the altar, I knew who would be waiting for me.

Hamasaki Makoto, my future husband.

I almost didn't want to look at him, but as my green orbs scanned the entire room, I couldn't help but stop directly at him and catch his gaze.

His dark colored hair was still kept as neat as ever and he wore the proper attire that a groom would wear to a wedding. His outfit was comprised of a black and white kimono that almost matched the wedding kimono I had on.

And as he was surrounded by a red altar, it only managed to make him stand out even more.

I took notice that everyone was standing upright, waiting for me to walk down the aisle.

I noticed that cherry blossom petals now littered the white aisle way and as I heard the gentle music coming from a harp and violin, I slowly made my way towards the groom.

I tried to keep up a happy façade as I made my way through.

It was a bit hard to do, but as I passed down the aisle and looked at the numerous faces that were staring at me, I saw them each happily nod at me.

It seemed like it was working.

It took a few minutes to reach the end, and as I was about to make my way up the steps, I hadn't realized that I had tripped on a cherry blossom petal until I lost my balance.

I had a feeling that I would make a fool of myself on my wedding day, so this accident was no surprise.

I was ready to feel the full impact of my fall and as I closed my eyes expecting to feel pain, it never happened.

I felt myself being embraced by gentle arms, and as I opened my green eyes, I was met up with Makoto's reassuring blue gaze.

Holding onto him to regain my balance, both of us made it up the steps together and soon later separated and stood across from each other.

The priest stood between us and as he cleared his voice several times, I watched him slowly take out a book, preparing himself for the ceremony he was about to present.

Clearing his voice once more, the priest began: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to unite this man and this woman together in holy matrimony. If any man has a just cause to why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him speak now, or else forever hold his peace."

Taking a pause from the ceremony, I slightly hoped that someone would jump up and come up with a just cause as to why we shouldn't be married, but after a few moments of silence, I knew it wasn't happening.

So with some disappointment, I returned my attention back to the priest, waiting for this all to be over.

After a few moments, I clearly tuned out the priest as I let my eyes wander around the room, taking in every detail.

It was richly decorated and held this air of elegance within the room. Several flowers were imported for this wedding and as I saw many white lilies inside crystal clear vases that were lined along the aisle, I almost was taken back how beautiful it all was. The arch behind us was also all decorated with exotic flowers that brought about an aspect of color within the white in the room.

I had almost tuned out so badly that I didn't quite hear the priest addressing myself until I let myself come back into the conversation.

Almost blushing from embarrassment, I hadn't realized how long the priest was calling my name for until I looked towards Makoto and saw him smirking at me.

The glint in his eyes showed amusement and as I tried to fight the blush that was coming out on my cheeks, I slowly nodded at the priest.

I watched him sigh and as he now realized he had my full attention, he continued.

"Tsutano Hikari, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together for richer or for poorer? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be with him for so long as you both shall live?"

I was almost speechless as I felt as though I was put on the spot.

I could feel everyone's eyes on me and as they waited for my response, I silently gulped and tried to hide my nervousness.

"I do." I had said as I tried to steady my voice.

"Please repeat after me. I, Tsutano Hikari, take Hamasaki Makoto to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part."

After repeating that whole statement, I turned towards Makoto and as he took my hand, I felt a ring slip onto my finger.

As we both let go, we both returned our attention back to priest.

Knowing what was going to come, I waited patiently for the priest to pronounce us husband and wife, but apparently, there was something else planned.

As I watched the priest slowly nod towards Makoto's direction, I felt his hands grab mine and turn me to face him.

Makoto was now the only person in my line of sight and as I looked up to meet his eyes, I was afraid what was in store for me.

"Tsutano Hikari, I wanted to take this time to tell you how much you mean to me. I remember the first moment that I laid eyes on you, I was already taken by your beauty. And as I got the chance to know you, I was content knowing that you had more to you than just looks. The moments we've gotten to spend together have been more than I could ever ask for. I've seen you at your worst and at your best, and I just want you to know, that as long as you are by my side, I will make every moment worthwhile. I'll protect you and make sure no tears will come from your eyes. I know that Akio would've wanted that and I'm willing to keep this promise. Because you mean the world to me and have made me into a better person. Before everyone here today, I love you, Hikari, with all my heart and every fiber of my being. And if this is all a dream, then I don't want to wake up from it. Because a life without you by my side, would be like a life not worth living."

I was stunned by what he was saying and as I tried to rebuild my calm composure, I didn't know what to do anymore.

I felt so helpless and guilty that I began to cry.

I didn't know why I began to break down and as I let my tears fall, I guess Makoto took them the wrong way as he quickly hugged me and told me everything would be fine.

He began whispering sweet nothings in my ear and as he promised over and over again that he's always be there for me, it only seemed to fuel my despair even more as I continued to cry.

Everything was just catching up to me too quickly and I didn't know what I could do. I felt as though I had lost control within my own life and that was something I never wanted to lose.

After a few more moments, Makoto managed to calm me down as he rubbed soothing circles on my back. I had eventually stopped the tears and as I felt him wipe away the remaining droplets of water upon my face, I attempted to give him a small smile.

As he took my hand in his, we both faced the priest, ready for our fate.

As I felt Makoto slowly squeeze my hand as a way to calm me down and to say that everything would be all right, I tried my best to just not think about the current situation too much.

I didn't know if I was imagining things, but I could've sworn that I heard something drop nearby.

It wasn't something within the room, but it seemed like it was occurring outside.

Slightly turning my head towards a window that was somewhat past Makoto's form, I squinted my orbs, trying to see what was going on.

I only saw a small white bird in the distance. However, this one didn't seem to look like any other birds I've ever seen. It was different, in the aspect that it felt like it wasn't real.

Something in me told me I should be suspicious, but as I turned back towards the priest, I clearly wasn't ready for what was about to happen.

* * *

"With the power invested in me, I now pronounce Hamasaki Makoto and Tsutano Hikari, husband and wi—".

He didn't even have time to finish his statement as a loud explosion was set off in the distance. The explosion was so big that it shook the building that we all were in and caused utter confusion and chaos to occur.

After a few more moments, more explosions were set off around the area and as I watched people within the room quickly rush and exit the building, I didn't move an inch.

Seeing the explosion from the window, I saw tons of smoke beginning to litter the air. It was as if my dream was playing right before me and it was only a matter of time before it got worse.

The ceremony was now clearly over and as I turned towards Makoto with a look of panic, he quickly came towards my side and tried to comfort me.

"M-makoto, what's going on?"

"I have no idea, Hikari. From the looks of it, it's an enemy invasion."

Widening my eyes in shock, I felt my whole dream come back at me at full force. It seemed like everything I dreamed of was coming true.

"Hikari, are you all right?" Makoto asked as he shook me out of my stupor.

"Hai, I'm fine. Just scared." I replied back.

Nodding back at me, I saw Makoto turn towards a man to his right and listen carefully to what he was saying.

I concluded that the man was a high-ranking shinobi as he seemed to be dressed in his shinobi wear and also wore a mask. He had come to Makoto to address what was happening and as I heard only snippets of their conversation, it was clear that an enemy had invaded and laid siege upon the village.

"Hikari, I'm sorry about this, but I have to leave. The village needs me. I'll come back as soon as possible."

I slowly nodded at his statement and as I felt him pull me towards him and give me one last kiss good-bye, I didn't know what to feel.

Hugging back and hoping for the best, I was the last one to let him go from the embrace.

"Will you be coming back?" I asked out of the blue. I think it was because I was scared to be left alone again that caused me to ask this question.

"I promise that I'll come back for you, Hikari. In the mean time, this gentleman here will be protecting you. I'll come as soon as I can." He had said as he pointed towards the masked man on his right.

Nodding my head as I processed his words over and over again, I tried to comfort myself as I told myself over and over again that he would come back to me and that I would see him again.

As I watched him leave the area, I stood there, watching his form retreat into the grey smoke.

"Be safe, Makoto." I whispered as I watched him fully disappear.

I didn't want this to be the last time I would see him, because truth be told, I think I did hold some feelings for him. But whose to know if they were feelings for a friend or a lover.

"Lady Mizukage, it's best that we leave this building before it begins to collapse." The masked shinobi stated.

As I turned my attention towards him, I nodded and followed closely behind the masked man.

* * *

As we both managed to make it out of the building, I saw how much destruction had already occurred. I could clearly hear several screams and more explosions being set off.

There seemed to be bombs going off in every direction and in turn, they would cause fires to start. Which in turn would cause more screams.

It was the destruction of my home town all over again and I didn't know if I could continue to watch this anymore.

I watched as several Mist nin jumped into action and tried to get every civilian evacuated while also attempting to put out the embers with their water jutsus.

Everything was moving by so quickly and as the Anbu took me by my hand, dragging me through the crowds of people, I saw several hurt people and shinobi alike.

It was just too much. So much destruction put upon so many innocent people.

I didn't quite understand why this was happening. And I continued to ask this over and over again as we both kept moving.

* * *

We continued to weave through the crowd until we came to a clearing within the village.

It seemed as though no explosions had occurred in this part of the village and as the masked shinobi and I stopped, I now had time to catch my breath and process everything that was happening.

My hands were resting upon my knees as I caught my breath . Within a few more moments, I was able to stand up straight and I eventually turned towards the shinobi to figure out what was going on.

"What's going on here? Why is this happening?"

Turning towards me, still with his mask on his face, he replied with, "I'm afraid that's classified my lady. My job is to protect you. There's no need to let you know what is going on for that would further make you worry and panic."

Slightly annoyed at his response, I couldn't believe that this shinobi didn't even have the decency to tell me what was going on seeing that it was happening right before my eyes.

"As Lady Mizukage, I order you to tell me what's going on. This isn't a game. This is serious. I have every right to know what's happening, especially since Makoto is out there fighting whoever they are!" I had exclaimed as my temper eventually got the best of me.

Even after my loud outburst, the shinobi remained quiet and I was about to yell at him again, until he finally responded.

Sighing just before he would answer, he eventually stated, "Enemy shinobi have broken through our defenses and are now attacking the village. We believe we could've handled them without the Mizukage's help, but it now seems unlikely."

Well obviously that much was apparent. Seeing that Makoto now had to go out of his way and save the village, it was evident that they couldn't handle it without him.

"What does the enemy look like?" I asked in response.

"We aren't sure how many of them are out there, but I did spot two men. Both were dressed in black cloaks with red clouds on them."

With that response, I nearly froze in my place.

If my memory served me correctly, there was no mistaking it, those two men were the same two men that I had encountered before.

And then if they were here, then there was only one reason why; they were after me.

There's no doubt about it, they probably wanted to bring me back to Ronin. And that very name made me shiver.

I didn't want to come back to that man and be tortured for answers I didn't even have. But at the same time, I didn't want these people to suffer because of myself.

I was stuck with a fork in the road and I didn't know what to do anymore.

Great, another point in my life where I had no control over anything. It was just another situation I felt helpless in.

Hearing a voice break me out of my thoughts, I turned towards the masked nin.

"Lady Hikari, it's best that we leave the area. The explosions are getting closer and closer. It would be best if we moved to a different place."

"Hai. Lead the way then." I replied back.

* * *

At the rate we were moving at, I wouldn't have been surprised if we made it halfway across the world by the end of the day.

It was the fastest I've ever run in my lifetime and as we took several breaks for my sake, I realized that the shinobi beside me had barely broken a sweat.

No wonder shinobi were in good shape. I never realized how much they would have to train to gain that much stamina and endurance.

By this time, it had been several hours since I've last seen Makoto and I was only hoping the best for him.

It seemed like more explosions kept occurring throughout the village to the point where several people, including me, were being escorted out of the village.

Too much smoke was surrounding the entire place and as I watched several people around me fall unconscious as a result of the amount of ash around and in the atmosphere, I was surprised that I was still standing.

"Here. Take this, you'll need it." The masked nin said as he handed me a handkerchief.

Nodding and saying thanks, I took the item and quickly used it to cover my nose and mouth from the ashes.

Once I made sure it was tied securely, I turned back to look at the scene before me.

It was all grey and the smell of burning buildings could be smelt as I stood several feet away from the village.

This was like another loss to me.

I lost a home once, and it seemed just when I became accustomed to this village, I was going to lose this too.

And I didn't want that.

I wanted a place where I could call home and belong. And I thought the Hidden Mist Village symbolized a new start and a new place I could call home. At least that's what I hoped for.

And now, it was going to all be taken away from me.

That was the final thought that caused my eyes to water and cause some tears to fall from my eyes.

I cried silently as I watched a burning building collapse from a far.

I tried my best to cover up my tears because I didn't want to be crying in front of such a high-ranking shinobi. But I suppose he was used to regular people acting like this.

I came to the point where I didn't care anymore and just let myself cry until I couldn't cry anymore.

I didn't know how long I was like that, but eventually, I ran out of tears and just stood there looking blatantly at the scene before me.

"I'm scared. Not because of the invasion, but because I'm about to lose everything I've ever cherished once more."

I didn't know what caused me to open up and speak aloud, but all I wanted was someone to talk to. And at the moment, the masked nin would have to do. And whether he listened to me, I didn't care. I just needed to vent out to someone.

"I don't know if you know this, but I lost my entire family and home in just a day. After that day, I was never the same again. It changed me. Made me more cynical and maybe a bit more hopeful that things could get better and that I'd find a home. And I thought this village would give me that hope. But now it's happening all over again. And I can't do anything to stop it."

I was met with nothing but silence.

I wasn't expecting much, but I was utterly surprised when the shinobi replied back.

"So I've heard. You've gone through a lot. But most of us have our own struggles we have to deal with. You're dealing with the fact that you have no home. But did you ever come to realize that a home isn't really a place? The people you care about make up a home; otherwise, who else would you come back to?"

For once in my life, his words made sense. And although I wasn't sure who he was, it felt as though I could trust him. He managed to listen to me and understand where I was coming from. And for that, I was grateful.

Nodding back at him as a sign of thanks, I didn't have enough time to process what was happening in the next few seconds.

I felt him quickly grab me and push me out of the way of something.

As I felt my body quickly hit the dirt ground, I was about to retort until I looked back and froze in terror.

That very man was back.

I could see the blonde hair and clearly distinct black cloak with red clouds; there was no mistaking it, it was the same man that I saw when I was captured.

His blues eyes were mesmerizing to say the least, but that animalistic glint in his eyes only further caused me to shiver.

"Sasori-danna, looks like I found her, un." The blonde said as he continued to look in my direction as he grabbed something from inside his cloak.

I saw some white substance, as though it was clay. And as it quickly changed into a bird, I quickly realized that this was the same bird I had saw through the window.

At that moment, I knew what it was. It was a bomb. And the fact that it could end our lives right here and now, only made me more fearful of the man before me.

Another figure entered the scene and it was a large man of sorts, completely covered up by his cloak. I had no idea what he was capable of, but if he was partnered up with the blonde, then there was no doubt that they were a dangerous duo.

I felt the masked nin position himself in front of me and I watched as he slowly pulled out a sword from his side.

This action made me feel a bit more secure, but nonetheless, I was still scared for me life.

"Hn…Deidara let's finish this up. I don't have all day to be chasing after this brat."

"You two aren't going anywhere. Under the order of the Mizukage, you both are under arrest." The masked nin said aloud as he began to step forward towards the two cloaked men.

"Looks like this one's got some spunk, un. Should we teach him a lesson danna?" the blonde said as it looked as though he was anxious to try out his technique.

I kept my eyes on the clay bird that was in the palms of his hands and as my gaze switched from the bird to the masked nin, I realized that he didn't stand a chance.

At any rate, that bomb would hit him before any sword would be able to touch the other man.

And that would mean, it was assured that they would catch me.

That thought only made me quiver in fear even more. And as I was still on the ground, I was frozen to the spot.

My eyes widened in terror as I didn't want to see anyone killed before my very eyes. But at the same time, I didn't want to stay frozen and do nothing to help.

_Flashback. _

"_How are you a shinobi, Akio? Don't you ever get scared out there when you're fighting? I mean don't you know that you can die at any second?" _

_Chuckling, Akio roughly ruffled my white hair before replying back. "Of course, Hikari. Everyone gets scared. But you learn to deal with it in different ways." _

"_What do you mean?" I asked as I looked up at my brother, waiting for his answer. _

"_Let me put it to you this way, Hikari. I overcome my fear by always reminding myself what true strength really is. It's not about physical strength; it's all about the courage to stand up and fight for what you believe in. Even if you're scared, even if you have to lay your life on the line, if you care about something, protect it. Protect it with both your arms held high and never give up. That's what true strength is." _

_End of flashback. _

True strength? Maybe I'll find my own strength my own way.

I didn't know what got into me, but I managed to find the strength to stand up and face the two men.

I was standing beside my bodyguard and although I didn't know how much help I would be, I was ready for whatever was about to come ahead.

"What are you doing? Stand down Lady Hikari." He harshly whispered as he turned towards me.

I wasn't expecting something like this considering that I was offering my help, so I was a bit stunned that it took me a bit of time to respond back.

"I'm trying to help you."

"I doubt you have any fighting skills. If you really want to help, just get out of here. Run as far as you can go and don't look back. You have to go, I'll hold them off as much as I can."

Flashbacks of what Akio did for me quickly ran through my mind and as my eyes began to water, I refused to let myself cry here.

I quickly shook them away and as I turned to try to respond back, I didn't know what stopped me, but that gaze the masked nin gave me told me to trust him.

Nodding and taking one last look at the two men before him, I felt a kunai being quickly shoved into my grasp. And at that moment, I didn't waste any time before I quickly dashed off.

As I ran away from the area, I only heard small parts of the conversation as the blonde male tried to come after me. But before I was fully away from hearing range, I heard the masked nin face him and tell him that he was his opponent, not me.

Running further away from the area, I couldn't help but wish him all the best. And for the last time, I clutched onto the sharp weapon tightly and whispered, "Be safe and thank you for everything."

And that's when the tears finally fell.

Everything was changing and I never liked change much. But then again, who does?

Throughout life, there's always change, but once you find the place in your life that you wished would be like that forever, it won't be. Because people change and things change that disrupt your once peaceful life.

But all I wanted was that same life I had previous months ago. But that wasn't ever going to happen because nothing would be the same ever again.

I didn't have anyone to turn to. And as I was running away from the situation, I was also running away from my past.

I was alone again and I didn't know if I was ever going to see a familiar face ever again.

Because even in times of darkness, when someone tells you they'll always be with you forever, they can't be. Because even here right now, I knew that Makoto couldn't be here to protect me and now, I was forever lost without him.

* * *

**Thoughts anyone? Reviews will be greatly appreciated. :) **


	13. Chapter 12: Fallen Hopes

**Finally updated! Sorry for the long wait and once again, I'm not going to sit here and lie to you guys and say I will be updating often. But I am proud to say that I'm getting my mojo back. This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written and I hope it lives up to your expectations. I write and keep you guys in mind while I do, so I hope you enjoy. **

**Also note that I'm not going to lie to you and tell you this is a "happy" chapter because I think you can tell from the chapter title and the way the story is headed that it's not at the happy part yet. I mean it does have to get worse before it gets better now doesn't it? **

**I would love to hear your thoughts after you're done reading so review, but other than that, enjoy! **

* * *

**Chapter 12: Fallen Hopes**

Hope, that was the only thing that I could hold onto.

It was the only thing that was worth my time because I believed that if you held out long enough and prayed for things to get better, things would eventually improve and everything would fall into place.

But then again, there are always those experiences that make you doubt yourself and question whether even having hopes is worth your time.

You start doubting in yourself and your own beliefs because of the circumstance that you've been put under. And who knows if there's anything that can stop you from doubting yourself?

Sometimes you fall into such a dark place and you are so deep into it that you don't think there's any way out. You start giving up on anything and you eventually lose sight of the light.

I never wanted to fall that far down because I was afraid of that darkness. I was afraid that I would never be able to get out of that dark abyss if I ever gave up.

So I continued to have hope; even in the darkest of times, I'd always try to have faith and believe that things would get better.

I made it this far and if I got this far, then I could go on. At least, that's what I tried to tell myself each time something bad would happen. It couldn't get any worse, but boy, was I completely wrong.

Because I didn't know how far I had fallen already.

And I think that's what scared me the most.

I was in denial.

I didn't want to admit that I was in total darkness, alone.

Because ever since I lost everything, I never wanted to feel alone again.

* * *

I wasn't sure for how long I had been running for. All I could tell was that the sunlight was still out, and that was just enough for me to continue on.

I had to make sure I got far enough before nightfall fell.

I clutched tightly onto my silver necklace and stopped it from hitting my chest over and over again as I ran. Just the mere feeling of the sleek metal against my palm made me feel more secure. It was calming my own nerves down for the moment, but just looking back and thinking about what was happening caused me to lose my peaceful state of mind and begin to panic.

It wasn't until I clutched tightly onto the kunai knife on the other hand did I feel safe.

I never knew how secure you could feel from just holding a weapon and I suppose that was why many people took on the career of a shinobi. Having so many weapons at your disposal, it could lead you into a false sense of security and it just so happened that that was what was happening to me.

I felt safe.

The metal of the kunai was able to calm me down and prevent me from jumping into a panic attack for only a few moments before my mind went off on its own tangent of thoughts.

How could I ever forget that I was running for my life now? Sure I've been through this several times and I should've been used to this feeling of being in danger, but this time it felt different. I was in real danger alone and that thought was the only thing that drove me to continue on sprinting. Despite how my lungs were screaming for me to stop and breathe, I continued on ignoring my body's pleas to take a rest.

It was scary to think that the same men that had endangered my life before were chasing me. I had initially thought Makoto had taken care of them, but I guess that hadn't happened.

All I wanted was to feel secure and protected. I was scared for my life and I knew Makoto was dealing with them and I just prayed he'd come to my rescue again.

That was the only thought reoccurring in my head as I continued running onward. But within moments, I quickly realized that my pace was slowing down progressively.

I knew that I couldn't keep this up for too much longer because let's face it, I didn't have the stamina or the endurance to run forever.

The whole situation was looking bleak for me and as that sudden realization came, I felt my feet become heavier.

I was no longer able to keep up my rapid pace and as my body suddenly screeched to an abrupt stop, I felt as though I was going to collapse at any moment.

The consequences of not giving my body a rest especially after sprinting for such a long time were finally catching up to me.

I felt as though I could not even catch my breath and as I collapsed onto the ground, only to have my arms stop myself from falling completely, I didn't know what to do anymore.

At the moment, I was on my knees, still trying to catch my breath despite the several coughs that were coming out of my body.

My heart was still beating fast and as I put my palm against my chest, I tried my best to slow my heart rate down as I sat down on the forest floor.

All I could do at the moment was keep my head between my feet as I tried my best to get rid of my nausea. I could feel my head spinning a million miles a minute and it didn't help much that I had nothing to take my mind off of this horrible feeling.

Within a few more moments, I couldn't hold it in anymore and I just turned to the side and allowed the nasty liquid to release itself from my mouth.

I didn't know for how long I was just throwing up on the forest floor, but it eventually stopped and I was able to pull myself back together.

Ignoring the fact that I now smelt like vomit and I was disheveled beyond repair, I guess you could say I was back to my old self; at least I felt a lot better than I did before.

Attempting to take my mind off how gross I probably looked and smelled along with the immense throbbing coming from my feet, I decided to become more familiar with my surroundings. Looking around at the environment, I saw that the lush green forest trees and plant life now surrounded me.

The whole atmosphere was calming and the immense amount of plant life only managed to further add to it. Even though I was isolated at the moment, I was just happy to feel secure and tranquil.

And the soft, gentle noises of the forest life were just what I needed to calm myself down from my current situation.

But on the other hand, I had other things to worry about. Even if I was truly safe at the moment, I'd have to worry about the future; if I couldn't even move at all right now, then the chances of my enemy catching up to me would increase exponentially.

It just wasn't my day now was it?

From an interrupted wedding to now running for my life, I suppose it wasn't.

I guess people are right when they warn you to be cautious about what you wish for. I mean after all, I did wish for some way for the wedding to be disrupted, and this is what I got in return for it. Me, running for my life while the only person I cared about at the moment was doing his best to fight them off and protect me.

Sighing aloud at my current predicament, I knew that I was in quite the pickle, especially since I couldn't move anymore.

My feet were already too sore from my sprinting and my body just couldn't take it anymore.

I ran out of energy awhile ago and I just seemed to have pushed myself past my limits.

Leaning back, I realized that my back was now using a tree stump as leverage as it held my body upright.

Still sitting on the forest floor, I realized that I was out of options. In fact, I was probably out of options a long time ago and without any other plans in my head, I guess all I could really do was wait here and just wait for the sunset.

I could still see the sun's rays that continued to peek through the gaps within the leaves of the trees. And it served to give me at least a small glimmer of hope.

And perhaps, just staring at it would give me the determination necessary to carry on.

So that's what I did.

I just sat there, waiting.

I truthfully didn't know what I was waiting for, but I didn't really have a choice.

Either I was waiting for someone to come and save me or I already accepted defeat and was just waiting for the enemy to catch up to me.

In either instance, I knew I reached my limits. I couldn't move anymore. Even breathing in and out hurt a bit.

So there definitely was no chance for me.

Along with that, I felt my body slowly succumb to the ever comforting feeling of sleep. My eyes began to get heavy, but I knew for certain that I could not afford to fall asleep. If that ever happened, then I wouldn't be able to be on alert in case my enemy arrived before me.

And if the enemy was going to come, I wanted to be awake, not asleep.

For the time being, I just wanted to enjoy life and avoid as many obstacles at all costs.

But I knew myself that I was exhausted. I didn't know how much longer I could force my body to stay awake before I would pass out from exhaustion.

As I was leaning against the tree, I couldn't help but feel my eyes become heavier, as if they were about to close at any moment and force my body into the submission of having a peaceful slumber.

But I knew the moment I would fall asleep, I would be in trouble. I would either have a nightmare and wake up screaming in the middle of the forest or have allowed my enemy to catch up to me and capture me right on the spot.

Despite how drowsy I was becoming and how each time I blinked my eyes would get heavier, I had to fight it. I had to continue on because I couldn't let Akio's and Makoto's sacrifices be in vain.

But it was easier said than done because I didn't know how much longer I could fight off this before I would doze off.

It was as though I reached a roadblock in my path and despite how my mind screamed at me to continue on, my body itself was too broken to do so.

I knew it would only be a matter of time before those two men would catch up to me. And then what would I do?

I didn't even want to think about what would happen to me.

Maybe they would be merciful and just kill me quickly on the spot or perhaps they'd take me back to Ronin to be tortured for information that I still had no clue about.

In either case, I realized I was helpless, like I always was. And in either case, I was going to die in their hands. And I didn't want that.

I wanted to live a long life where I'd find my own happiness. I didn't want it to end here.

What I wanted was to live life on my own terms not theirs. But it seemed like everything was bleak for me. There was no light left because I was now surrounded by the darkness.

I didn't really know when I started crying, but the tears continued to come and fall from my eyes, littering the forest ground.

I couldn't stop myself. I felt so lost and lonely that even the idea of death was better than this terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

My vision became unclear from the amount of tears that were falling from my eyes and my body began to shake uncontrollably. I didn't know what was happening to me; I guess I was really starting to lose it. And I suppose this was bound to happen.

I tried calming myself down by taking deep breaths and as I turned my attention to the kunai knife that was in my hand, I didn't know what had gotten into me.

All I needed was one small action to end my life.

I held all the power in my hand right now and it felt like I had some control over my life.

If it all ended right here, would all my suffering truly end?

That I didn't know, but a part of me wanted to find out.

My curiosity was what caused my hand to move on its own accord and before I knew it, my left hand was shaking and holding the kunai knife near my throat.

I didn't know what I was doing anymore and just taking one more look at my surroundings, I took one more deep breath before I continued on with my actions.

All I needed to do was make one clean slice and then all the suffering and pain would end.

That was what all I needed to do. And maybe, if I was lucky enough, this would be the happy ending that I wanted.

I didn't know how to come about this and I hoped it would be as painless as possible; so before continuing on, I closed my eyes, thinking of all the memories I had in my life and of all the people that meant the world to me.

I pictured each and every one of them in my head, repeating over all the memories I had with each person.

With each memory, I felt myself slightly laugh or smile at each one and it was as though I felt like I lived a life worth living for. And maybe, it was my time to leave.

The last person I stopped at was Akio.

I could picture what he would look like right here, right now.

His black hair, flowing in the wind, and his bright, purple eyes that would evidently show that life and joy was still in his orbs.

I could picture him in his same shinobi attire he would wear everyday and I could never forget that smile; that smile that brought so much joy and laughter in my life. That smirk that he'd always have when he's ruffling my hair even though he knew I found it annoying.

I never knew those small memories could mean so much to me. And I could almost form a full smile as I was recounting them in my head.

I realized that I didn't have a bad life and I think I would be fine if it ended right here, right now.

**'I'll see you soon, aniki.'**

So deciding that this was my fate, I was just about to make the final strike until I heard a familiar voice out of the blue.

_"Hikari! Stop! Don't you dare think about throwing your life away!"_

I didn't know if I was hearing things or if it was real, but I didn't want to open my eyes to see.

The voice I heard resembled closely to my brother's and I quickly concluded that it just had to be a hallucination; something that my mind made up. It couldn't have possibly been real. There could be no voice like his. I was sure of this.

So deciding to ignore it, I was just about to slice my throat before I heard the same voice again.

_"Hikari! Don't do it! You have so much more to live for!"_

I wasn't sure if I should listen to the voice before me, and as I opened my eyes to confront the mysterious person, I found that even with my blurry vision, no one was around me.

I was just imagining things because it must've been my mind playing tricks on me to calm myself down before I would die.

So returning back to my previous action, this time around, it was my third try and I still continued to be interrupted by that voice.

_"Kari, what are you to gain if you do this? Are you just throwing your life away? Is this what you really want? I thought you wanted a happy ending?"_

Tears still continued to fall from orbs and as I looked around, trying to find out where the voice was coming from, I decided that I desperately wanted to find out who it was, so I responded back.

"I do want a happy ending. And maybe this is the route that I'm supposed to take." I had said as the kunai still hovered above my throat.

_"After everything you've survived, you're giving up now? What happened to the Hikari that I knew? She wouldn't give in this easily; she'd stand up and fight! She's not a coward!"_

I took a long pause because I didn't know how to respond to something like that.

There was only one other person who thought of me in such a high manner and that would only be my brother.

However, if it was really him, I didn't know if I wanted to answer. That was because I didn't want to tell him myself that I was a coward; that I was someone who couldn't even stand up or fight for myself when I needed to.

I was ashamed of that and I didn't need him to know that.

For awhile, I just remained quiet, trying to gather up my own thoughts before responding back in s soft whisper.

"Y-you're wrong about me… I'm not that type of person. I'm the kind of person who would run away from a fight and take the easiest route out of things. Let's face it, I've always been a coward. I've always ran away from things that I'm most scared of."

_"But you're not a coward, Hikari. You've been through so much already and you never ran away from any of those incidents. You stood up for what you believed in and if you survived all of that, why can't you continue on now?"_

"Because I'm scared….I'm scared that if I make it through all of this, I'll end up alone. And I don't want to be alone anymore. I want someone to be there for me. Someone who will never leave my side."

_"Life's about taking chances, Hikari. And our experiences are supposed to shape ourselves into better people. You've been put through a lot, more than I could've ever imagined, but if you continue on, I promise you that you won't end up alone."_

I didn't know if I could believe his words, so it took me awhile before I could respond back with such aggressiveness.

"How can you be so sure of that? You can't guarantee that! No one can!" I had yelled as I clutched tightly onto the kunai knife.

_"Because I never left you, Kari. I'm still here and I will be for as long as you need me."_

Widening my eyes at his statement, I was frozen in my place.

I didn't know if I should listen to his statement or completely ignore it. But I knew that a part of me wanted to believe in him; to believe in every word he said because he relieved my pain.

Even in death Akio was able to make me feel better and was healing me even at this exact moment.

I hadn't realized when I stopped thinking until I dropped the kunai knife and heard the clunk noise of the metal as it hit the dirt ground.

"Th-that's not possible."

_"I never left you, Hikari. When I said that I would be with you forever, I meant it. And I never go back on my word."_

"B-but I don't understand…you're gone. It's not possible. People can't come back from the dead."

_"There's so many things that can't be explained and there's so little time that life gives us to enjoy the things we love. It's ironic, but that's life. I may be gone, but just remember that I'm still with you, inside your heart. I'm your guardian angel and as long as you still remember me, I'll always be there. Don't forget that, Hikari If there's one thing that life taught me, I learned to cherish the things that I had, to never regret anything, and to fight for that happy ending that you want. Because life can end much more quickly than you could ever expect. And before you know it, it's all gone. But that doesn't me that you stop living as well. You have to be strong enough to overcome your misfortune because in the end, you can get yourself out of the darkness."_

"How is it that you know all of this?"

_"Isn't is obvious, Hikari? It's because I've been through this already. I found out what it's like to lose everything and discovered how short life really was. And I don't want you to feel like you're alone in this situation. You were and are never alone. Like I said before, I'll be there to pick you up when you fall."_

"Akio I—"

_"Hikari, why do you think we fall so much in our lives?"_

"I-I don't know…why?"

_"We fall in order to learn to get back up again. And if things ever look so bleak, you should know that life's testing you. It wants to know if you're strong enough to pick yourself back up and put yourself back together. Life is like a river, Hikari; there can be so many twists and turns, but in the end, you're in control with where you want to be headed." _

"How can you be so sure about this? " I had whispered as I silently wiped my many tears away, trying to clear up my vision.

_"That's because I'm your older brother, Kari; I'm supposed to know these things." _

Softly laughing at his retort, I couldn't help but smile at the moment because it reminded me so much of the Akio I knew.

_"There you go; that's the sister I know."_

"Thank you, aniki. This means a lot to me; more than you'll ever know actually."

_"You're welcome, Hikari. I am your older brother after all; of course I have to watch over you. And remember, you're stronger than they are, Hikari; you are. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently. If you ever find that things are bleak, remember that I'm still here with you. Not physically, but as long as you remember me, I'll always be with you, inside your heart."_

"I will…Then I expect that this whole talk about life and such means that I have to continue on with my life, don't I?"

For once, there was no answer. As quickly as the voice came, it disappeared within seconds.

But a part of me felt like Akio was still here with me. As though I was never alone and I think I was beginning to understand what he was saying.

As a breeze pushed past me and softly grazed my cheek, I actually gave a small genuine smile.

And as I looked up into the bright, blue sky, seeing a black and purple highlighted raven fly away into the sunset, I couldn't help but smile a bit wider.

"You never made things easy for me, but I'm starting to finally able open my eyes and see. I understand that there's more to life now."

* * *

I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until my body snapped back into reality right away and noticed that time had passed by me.

I didn't know how late it was, but it was nearing sunset now.

Just looking up towards the sky told me that. The beautiful hues of orange, pink, and yellow were all merging together to form such a magnificent sight. And with all those colors, I quickly concluded that the sun would probably set within a few more hours. Although, it was ironic how something so beautiful was now occurring, yet something dangerous was waiting for me ahead.

I had lost too much time already and for all that time I spent asleep, I wasn't in the least alert about anything.

But that dream, it almost felt life like. As though Akio was really here.

But that wasn't possible. It was only a dream; nothing more and nothing less.

Regardless of anything, despite how I was alone again, I didn't feel as empty as I normally did. I felt as though I regained a part of myself back.

As though the type of love and reassurance I received from my brother would help pick myself up from all of my troubles and help fix me.

I felt different now; maybe more confident in myself. I didn't know for sure, but I think I was able to find that willingness to carry on.

And with that, I didn't know where I suddenly gained the strength, but I managed to push myself up back onto my feet.

I had used the tree as a leverage to pick myself back up and as I now stood on my feet, I didn't feel the awful throbbing anymore. My feet no longer bothered me as much as I thought they did and it was as though I was able to gain the strength to move again.

It was as though I was healed; as though someone out there believed in me enough to give me this strength to carry on.

And as I was able to fully stand on my own two feet, I quickly grabbed the kunai from the ground and began to move.

I found that I wasn't back to my old self yet seeing that my feet still hurt a bit, but that didn't stop me.

Despite how slow of a pace I was now moving at, each step was taking me further away from my enemy and closer to what I wanted: a happy ending and freedom from the suffering.

* * *

I wasn't sure how much time had passed since I had pushed myself to move forward. All I knew was that I had put a great distance between my enemy and myself and I had to continue to push myself.

Although I wasn't in the best condition, I still had to walk close to the trees in case I ever stumbled and needed help getting back up. But nothing like that had happened just yet.

The kunai knife was still in my left hand's grasp and every now and then, I would throw it back and forth in my hands to calm myself down and remind myself why I was still moving.

The necklace that Akio had given me was still around my neck and it also served as another reminder as to why I was so determined to get away.

Akio's words continued to repeat themselves in my head and I realized I really did need to pick myself up and put myself back together.

I found that I was done with feeling like a victim; I've felt that way throughout my whole life and I didn't want to feel like that anymore. I wanted to feel like a survivor; someone who has been through so many hardships, but never gives up even when things are looking bleak. Because somewhere at the end of my own dark tunnel, I knew there would be a bright light waiting for me.

Just walking, feeling that dirt ground below my throbbing feet, I didn't feel like anything was holding me back anymore. No pain, no more feeling sorry for myself, because I was beginning to find my own strength.

_"You're stronger than they are, Hikari; you are. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently."_

Akio was right; maybe I was stronger than I gave myself credit for. And I think that was the strength I always had inside of me. Before, I was too blind that I didn't see it, but once opening my eyes, even by a little bit, I was able to.

I guess you could say that I was gaining a bit of a back bone and some courage as well. At the moment, I felt like I could possibly take on anything life could throw at me because I wasn't as scared anymore.

I think Akio was truly correct; that life is just a series of tests and that I needed to learn how to overcome each obstacle. I couldn't just depend on other people doing things for me because I wouldn't learn anything.

I had spent quite some time pondering over my thoughts and as I continued on my own trail, I quickly realized that I had put down my own guard.

I began hearing rustling coming from a nearby bush and I automatically jumped into panic mode.

I guess so much for all my talk of being a little bit more brave. But I needed to be strong; I needed to live up to Akio's own words because he would've wanted it that way.

So despite how fast my heart was beating and ringing in my ears, I knew I had to confront this enemy.

The rustling still continued on, coming from the same direction as it did before.

Turning around and still noticing the moments coming from the plant a few feet behind me, I silently gulped and mentally prepared myself for what was going to come.

As I tried my best to silently make my way over towards the bush, (well as quiet as I could manage despite tripping over my feet a few times), I finally managed to make my way towards it.

With each step I took, I literally felt my heart beat out of my chest and I was pretty sure my enemy could hear it too. I didn't know if I was going to die from a heart attack or anxiety or maybe even both.

It only took me a few more seconds before I stood directly in front of the bush.

With my legs shaking a bit, I was able to firmly hold the kunai knife in my hand, and I was ready to strike.

Raising my arm above my head, I was just about to use the momentum to attack my opponent before there was even more movement.

As my enemy jumped out from the bush and now stood before me, I was a bit shocked with what I saw. So shocked that I accidently let go of my kunai knife and tripped over my own kimono.

I wasn't fully prepared at the sight before me and as the thought of what I was about to do to the poor little thing crossed my mind, I was horrified.

Standing right before me, was possibly the most gentle and peaceful animal: a snow white rabbit. And the fact that I was about to attack it and injure it made me feel guilty.

Even though I was a bit surprised, I was just glad that it wasn't a real opponent. I actually was laughing at myself for overreacting and being so nervous about such a small creature that couldn't even hurt a fly.

As I regained my composure, I was quick to pick up my fallen kunai knife and just taking another look at the rabbit made me feel better.

Back in my old home, creatures like this, especially rabbits, were rare. I've always wondered why and I think I remember Akio telling me that it was just too moist around where we lived.

Throughout my whole life, I've only seen one rabbit around my home town because that was how rare they were to spot. And because of their rarity, I think that was why I considered them my favorite animal. They were so different and gentle and fragile. Just like me I suppose.

It's so strange to think that places throughout the world could be so different, but we're all connected in some way because we all live in this world. And maybe getting away from my enemy and getting the chance to journey through different places would be good for me. It was pretty good so far and getting the chance to see such an adorable creature made me feel a lot better about myself.

Maybe I was doing something right this time around.

* * *

After my little incident with the snow rabbit, I decided to take a small rest and attempt to find some water.

If I learned one thing from listening to Akio, if there were so many trees in this forest, they had to get water from a certain source. This kind of lush green color couldn't have possibly come from just rain water.

So with that thought in mind, I looked around my surroundings and closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on the sounds of moving water.

Just listening to the noises of the forest, I was able to isolate each of them and concentrate on my goal at hand.

I wasn't that experienced with using my ears, but by combining this sense with my water nature element, it only took me a few moments more to hear the sounds of moving water nearby.

From the looks of it, it was pretty close to where I now stood.

Opening my orbs, I didn't hesitate to move and as I made my way towards the moving water, I couldn't wait to at least see something familiar that I loved.

I always loved the water; after all, I did grow up around it so I wasn't a stranger to it. It always made me feel at home or at least it gave me the feeling of nostalgia and made me recall memories of my home.

As quickly as I had heard its movements, I found the river much more quickly than I expected.

It looked so beautiful; as if it was undisturbed from mankind and as I took the time to admire how nice and healthy the water looked, I wasn't at all scared to approach it.

I didn't realize how thirsty I was until I actually cupped some water into my palms and quickly gulped down every last drop.

Taking another palmful of water from the river, I quickly finished my second helping.

It felt so nice as the liquid moved down my throat, satisfying my own thirst. I felt much better and more refreshed than I ever felt before. I was definitely more alert and ready to continue on my journey.

Making my way back to where I was originally before my water break, I was quick to take one more look back at the river before it disappeared from my sight.

For some reason, that river made me feel secure as well and as I now set my sights before the path ahead of me, I still had quite the journey to go.

There was more of a hop in my step and it seemed like my mood was improving more and more.

I couldn't help but feel a bit happier and I was starting to believe that I was making my way out of the darkness that was surrounding me.

It felt like I could feel carefree for the moment and as I looked around my surroundings, being able to take my mind off at my current situation, I couldn't help but smile a bit.

Looking up at the beautiful sky, I could tell that it was going to get dark soon.

Several shadows were already forming from the nearby plant and animal life and I could clearly see my own shadow as I continued to move.

The creatures were beginning to get ready for the darkness that was going to consume them soon as they all scurried off into their own different homes.

The only thing I needed to figure out at the moment was where I would be staying for the night. By the looks of it, I wasn't anywhere near a town so that meant I had to try to find some shelter in the forest before the sun would set. Because the moment that happens, I would be unable to see and find a place to stay.

As I stopped my pace, I took my time trying to figure out a way to find a place to stay for the night. My best option would be finding a cave, but I had no idea how to do that with the amount of time I had left. From the looks of it, at most I had an hour and a half left and with this amount of forest ground to cover, it was impossible to be lucky enough to find a cave at the moment.

So it looks like I had to find another shelter.

But that was easier said than done. I couldn't really think of any other option than to just to continue on and stop a few minutes before sunset to think of a plan.

So that's what I did. I continued on my journey.

Just taking my time, I decided to just take my mind off my current predicament as I looked up at the sky and then took the time to study the path that I was currently walking on.

I saw several shadows hovering over me on the ground, and as I turned my gaze back up to the sky to look at them, I was quick to give a small smile at seeing them fly above me.

They seemed so carefree and independent; something that I wished I could eventually be like.

Just stopping in my steps and looking up at them, I felt like all my worries in the world were gone; they were each so different, as they came in such different colors from black, blue, brown, and white. They were each special in their own ways.

And as I took my gaze away from them, I pushed myself to continue walking.

For the most part, I just watched my shadow move on the ground, reassuring me that I was still moving. And just looking down at my shadow only reminded me more how time was running out for me to find a shelter.

I didn't know why I started to panic, but I did. But I knew I had to calm myself down because I really couldn't think clearly if I was all flustered.

Taking my time to close my eyes and take deep, calming breathes, a few moments later, I was fine.

I felt better now and as I opened my orbs, I realized that there was something off about my shadow. It was somehow getting bigger and slightly moving.

Widening my eyes in shock as my ears picked up a nearby noise, I was surprised to see two of the same white, clay-like birds I had seen before.

They weren't completely near me, but they were close enough to spot me.

I didn't know why, but I was frozen to my spot right then and there; so frozen that all I could do was lock my eyes with the blonde's (visible) blue eye.

Our eyes stayed like that for awhile and as I watched carefully as he grabbed something from within his cloak, I saw more clay-like figurines in his palms.

Watching him throw them downwards towards where I was standing, it took me a few more moments to register that I needed to move because I knew what he was up to.

Those were the same bombs that had occurred at the wedding and if I wanted to survive, I had to move out of the way.

Moving as fast as I possibly could out of the range of the bombs, I desperately tried to find some sort of cover.

Spotting a nearby tree, I was quick to skid towards it and use it as a shield.

I was now in a sitting position and as I was covering myself as much as possible, I was also waiting for the upcoming shell shock that would come from the explosives.

Just turning around to spot where the figurines were, I was able to see from the corners of my eyes as they hit the ground, creating a massively powerful explosion.

Before I knew it, I felt the impact from the bombs as their power caused my body to be pushed back so far that my back had hit a tree.

I could feel the pain start to form and as my back was now sore from the impact, I didn't really know what I could do at the moment.

I stayed in my painful sitting position as I coughed out my own blood. The crash really did injure me and as I felt a bit dizzy from the amount of blood I was losing, my vision was starting to get blurry.

I was way too broken beyond repair, but I couldn't let that stop me. After all, I still had my kunai knife in my hand and that served as my only defense at the moment.

Just looking up from my spot, I saw my two opponents land softly upon the forest floor. Within moments, both cloaked men got off their birds and as quickly as the creatures had landed, they had disappeared.

It seemed like they had been tracking me this entire time and from the looks of their somewhat torn up cloaks, the Mist nin must have given them a good fight; although not good enough if these men were still alive.

I just hoped that everyone was all right, especially Makoto; I would be heartbroken if I ever found out he had died because of me.

I was still trying to not move as the pain from my impact was too much to take. Inhaling and exhaling through both my mouth and nose was all I could do to try to relieve myself from the pain, but that wasn't working too well.

I now had my right arm, holding tightly onto my side, trying to make myself sit upright as my left arm still held tightly onto the kunai knife, the only defense weapon I had left.

Turning my gaze towards my opponents, I watched them as they slowly made my way towards me. I suppose they were taking their time since they knew I couldn't really move. It was as though they were mocking my pain and knew that I was too weak to even be a threat to them.

And that's what angered me; I never wanted to be underestimated. I wanted to prove to them that I was a worthy opponent.

So I didn't know what had gotten into me, but I slowly held onto the tree to help pick myself back up.

I had to admit that it was hard at first as the searing pain made its way throughout my body and caused me to fall the first time around, but as I made my second attempt, I had to silently bite my lip and hold back the tears that were going to come. And eventually, I was finally able to get back onto my own two feet.

My opponents were almost in front of me now and as I stood there, still a bit wobbly from the amount of pain I was feeling, I probably looked pitiful right now.

I was covered in dirt as a result of the explosion and I was still trying to fight back the amount of pain I was feeling along with the amount of blood loss my body was suffering.

Within moments, my two enemies were standing right before me; they were all too familiar as the blonde and the large man towered over my form and as I tried my best to look as intimidating as possible, I seemed to fail at that as both the men didn't even spare me a second glance.

Looking at my opponents, I tried my best to steady my voice as I now stood before them.

"W-what do you want?"

"That's for us to know and for you to find out, un."

Well so much for making small talk and stalling.

I knew this was bound to happen but I didn't know it would happen this soon.

Their presence before me was enough to make me shiver as I realized just how strong they really are. If they managed to take down so many experienced Mist nin, then they had to be quite powerful.

It was a mistake for me to feel brave and take one look in the blonde's visible eye because once our eyes locked, all I wanted to do was slowly back away from these two.

Something about them made me feel scared, more scared than I had ever felt before.

They were quite the pair and as another coughing fit hit me right then and there, I couldn't help but fall to my knees and cough out more blood.

I probably looked like a weakling in front of them and my only hope would be for them to take mercy on me.

From what I knew, they probably were still working for Ronin and if that was so, that meant that they couldn't possibily kill me yet. So that meant I was still in the clear, but not fully.

If I wanted to survive, I had to learn how to fight back and this situation seemed like the first of many tests that life had for me.

I didn't know how long it had been since they stood before me, as if watching and waiting for me to make the first move, but all I did was slowly make my way back onto my feet.

Still clutching onto my kunai knife, my only lifeline left, I didn't register when the blonde's partner had attacked me until I actually felt it.

It was as if it was in slow motion and as I watched some senbon come towards my way, I didn't have any time to defend myself as I felt a couple skid past my skin.

I could feel new wounds opening and as I began losing even more blood, I couldn't help but fall down into a sitting position right before them.

I didn't know what was happening but as I tried looking up at my enemy right before me, I began seeing more than just two of them. It seemed like the blood loss was now affecting my vision and as I quickly felt some parts of my body beginning to go numb, I quickly knew what was happening.

Widening my eyes at how stupid I was to not avoid those needles, I realized that those senbon were infused with some sort of numbing and paralyzing poison. For now, one of my legs and one of my arms were already numb and I no longer had control over them.

Luckily though, the arm holding my kunai knife was still functioning, but my vision was just not working to my advantage.

I just wasn't able to tell which one was real as I saw multiples of my enemies in my vision and if I was going to strike back, I only had one shot. With only one kunai knife to throw at them, I had to make sure I hit the right one.

Squinting my orbs, as if that would help me focus better, I tried my best to make out my two real enemies. I could tell where the source of my hallucinations were coming from, and as I targeted the blonde standing right before me, I didn't hesitate at all as I threw my kunai knife at him.

Watching him widen his eye in shock, I thought I had him until I saw something come forward and block my weapon.

It seemed like some sort of metal-like tail that had a sharp point at the end and as I watched it cancel out my kunai, I realized its source came from the other man.

I couldn't imagine how much weirder this situation could get seeing that the blonde used bombs and the other man used poisonous weapons and a metal tail. These two were definitely characters and I knew that I was in over my head once my last item of defense was now gone.

I wasn't sure how much longer I could last as I could now feel the poison spreading throughout my body each time I even made a small movement.

With barely any control over my body and my vision beginning to worsen, I knew this fight was already over for me.

Turning my gaze towards my opponents, I could see that the larger one was beginning to get agitated and impatient from the look in his eyes.

"Come on, Sasori no danna, un. Let me finish her off; it will be a lot quicker, un."

"You baka, with your bombs, you'll probably kill her. Our main objective is to keep her alive."

"Aww come on, you're no fun, un."

"Hn…I already have control over this situation, Deidara."

It looked like my fate was to lose to them and get captured, but I didn't want that. I suppose if I still was able to control my body a bit, I had to continue to fight back.

While they were distracted with their own bickering, I didn't hesitate at all.

I wasn't sure how I was able to move at such a fast pace, but before I knew it, I managed to use my momentum to my own advantage and tackle the blonde to the ground.

I could see that he was surprised as it wasn't everyday that you see some snow-white haired girl in tattered clothing run at you at full force. But just as quickly as he had become shocked, he was also quick to recover and slap me across the face and throw me in the opposite direction.

The stinging sensation on my cheek was nothing compared to the impact I felt as I hit the ground again.

I knew I was in big trouble now because I could literally feel the waves of rage eminate from the blonde's form.

Just taking one look at his eye told me that he was enraged. And I didn't know if I wanted to stay and find out what would happen to me.

With that thought in mind, I made my best attempt to stand back on my two feet without shaking or stumbling, and as I managed to do so, I didn't even dare to look back as I took off without a second thought.

If they wanted to capture me, they'd have to catch up to me first.

As I was leaving the area, I could hear Sasori yelling at the blonde for his incompetence and for apparently letting me escape.

I couldn't help giggle at that, but once regaining my composure, I had to focus my mind on what was I hand: the fact that I was running away once more from them.

Just running and feeling that adrenaline pump through my veins was enough to keep me going.

* * *

"You let her escape, Deidara. You were supposed to keep an eye on her."

"Don't blame this on me, un. You were the one that said you had everything under control."

"You were the one that she tackled, Deidara; if you just held onto her, we wouldn't have to be wasting all this time.

"Next time then, have the girl tackle you, Sasori, un."

"Enough of this nonsense, she couldn't have gotten that far. The amount of poison that entered her system will be enough to slow her down. Due to your incompetency, we've wasted more time."

Pouting the blonde was quick to repond back. "Your fault that you didn't fully paralyze her, un."

"I don't have time for your ridiculous retorts, Deidara; let's just go."

* * *

I felt myself slowing down. I suppose all my running only caused the poison to spread more quickly throughout my body and I was now feeling the full effects.

The only good thing coming from this poison was how it was numbing the pain coming from my back. Other than that, I was at a total disadvantage.

I could feel the poison make its way and slowly paralyze my muscles. With each step I took, I could feel myself slowing down.

But I kept pushing forward, as if my determination would cause the poison to slow down on its course.

I didn't bother looking back because I didn't want to know how much closer they were getting.

I knew they would catch up soon and as I tried my best to weave through the forest, trying to make complicated twists and turns in my path to confuse them, I hope that was enough to keep them occupied (that is if they were traveling by foot).

By now, I had reached a clearing and I knew that wasn't any good for me. They would be able to spot me right away and just as I was about to take another right, I didn't realize they had caught up to me as I felt the impact of another bomb quickly explode only a few feet before me.

It had managed to throw me several feet back and as I felt my body hit the ground abruptly, I knew at that moment that a rib or a couple of them were already broken.

Landing in such an uncomfortable manner, I knew that I couldn't move anymore. With the combination of the poison in my system and my injuries, I was near my end.

Even making an attempt at trying to lift my body up with my arms was hard for me and too painful. So all I could do was just lye there.

Now lying on my stomach, I turned my gaze towards the source of the bomb. There was a huge amount of dust and smoke that now surrounded the area which prohibited me from even being able to see my two opponents.

It was truly over for me and truth be told, I had reached my limit and I suppose I put up a good enough fight.

All I could do now was wait for my enemy to come out from that smoke and capture me right here, right now.

Just as if on time, I saw from the corners of my eyes that both Deidara and Sasori had emerged from the smoke a few moments later.

As they made it before me in record time, all I could do was helplessly lye on the ground.

"Deidara, your bomb nearly destroyed her."

"I only used a C1, un! And it didn't kill her Sasori no danna. It was just enough to stop her."

I didn't know what was going to happen to me, but as I watched from my position on the ground, I could see both of them bicker back and forth as if they were some sort of old married couple.

It was quite a funny sight and I couldn't help but laugh and smile a bit at the sight before me. After all, it wasn't everyday that you get to see some criminals argue back and forth.

I didn't know why I was laughing at a time like this; I guess I really was losing it.

Despite the pain that was coming from my laughing, I continued on until both criminals turned their attention towards me. Even with their eyes still set on me, I continued to laugh, as if I was some mentally-ill patient. I probably looked like one too seeing the current situation I was in.

I stopped momentarily as it began to hurt even more, but I quickly felt my body numbing itself more due to the poison Sasori had used against me.

I guess this really was it.

As I watched from below, I saw Sasori's large, metal-like tail emerge from behind. It was preparing to strike me and as I watched it hover above my form, I was prepared for the worst.

I watched it slice through the air and as it was making it's way over towards me, I was ready for whatever pain was going to hit me.

I had finally accepted my fate.

You can go through life with so much holding you back, but until you accept that you're caged in, you won't ever be able to let go.

The first stage is acceptance and once going through that, I think you can start a new beginning for yourself.

A beginning where you don't care what other people think of you because you're actually happy about the person that you've become.

Because whatever happened from here on out, at least I knew I got the last laugh.

And I think that was enough for me.

* * *

**Well I have to say this is a pretty long chapter. Over 10,000 words and took up more than 15 pages! It took quite some time to write it all down as I had to picture myself as Hikari and imagine how she would feel in a situation like this. So I hope it was a good read for you guys and I can't wait to see what you guys think of the chapter and the whole story so far. **

**And until next time, hope you see you guys soon! **

**-Katara**


	14. Chapter 13: Game, Set, And Match

**Sorry for such a late update! **

**I've been really busy over my winter break and to tell you the truth, I actually lost inspiration and my own mojo for this story, but I'm slowly getting it back. Not sure how long it will last though. But I'm glad that I managed to get this chapter out before my break would come to an end. So here's the new chapter for IWY. Hope you like it!**

**And as always, please review at the end! **

_Jlkjlkj = dream _

'hkhiuwerywiueyriwu'= thoughts

* * *

**Chapter 13: Game, Set, and Match**

Losing….it's something that we never like doing.

Let's face it, none of us like to lose because that also comes with the feelings of guilt that continue to engulf us.

And what's worse than that feeling is when you give it your all, but you end up losing anyways.

Then that feeling turns into regret and shame because you feel like you're not good enough.

People always tell you that it's all right to lose, that it's okay to fail at things as long as you give it your all. But what happens when you're in a life or death situation? What then?

I don't think people fully prepare you for situations like this; at least, I wasn't prepared for it.

At that moment you can't afford to lose. Because to lose means you accept defeat and give your life away. And no one can afford to do that.

We all value our own lives more than anything else and when we get to the point where you might die, you realize you want to cling onto that life you have. (Even if it's just a little, fragile piece of life)

And at that moment, I think that's where our inner strength comes in. You're able to rise above the limits that you set for yourself and you realize that even in the darkest of times, you can find strength.

And I think it's in those moments where we figure out how far we can go. And that it's up to you to stand up and fight or give up and lose.

And in the end, we only have one choice because we never like to lose now, do we?

* * *

Everything that happened at the moment was all a blur; I wasn't even sure of what happened myself and I was actually one of the three people there.

I was expecting such a sharp feeling of pain to hit me that I had closed my eyes waiting for it, but I didn't know what was taking so long.

At the speed Sasori's tail was moving at, I was surprised that it hadn't reached me yet. I was beyond confused and as I let a few more seconds tick on by, nothing occurred.

Deciding to be a bit brave, I used the last of my strength left to open my eyes.

I wasn't prepared for the sight before me as my green orbs met up with nothing but some sort of defense made of wood.

At that moment, my orbs widened in shock and they continued to stare at the barrier standing before me.

Turning my gaze downwards, I realized that this shield had come about from the ground. It had roots and several twists to it that it had to have originated from the plant life in this forest.

To think that a defense that was made from something so simple could be so strong was fascinating.

I didn't know how something like this could be this strong to withstand a strike from Sasori's tail, but I wasn't about to question that at the moment.

All I could think about was who had created it. And in my head, the idea of a hero coming to my rescue was playing over and over again.

It couldn't have been Makoto; I was sure of that. He's never shown me anything like this before and I was pretty sure his chakra nature was only water, just like mine.

So who could've done it?

My own curiosity provided enough strength for me to get my eyes to scan the area looking for my savior, but it was all in vain. The wooden defense before me was too large and blocked my view, so if there was a savior out there facing those two men, I wished him or her the best of luck.

Before I knew it, I could feel myself slowly start to fade in and out. I didn't know if I was becoming unconscious due to the loss of blood or because of the amount of injury and exhaustion I had put my body through. Or maybe even both? But the feeling of slipping away from reality didn't seem too bad at the moment.

Because before I knew it, my eyes began feeling heavy and before I was totally gone, I felt myself being lifted up and managed to take one last look before I slipped away.

And in that last moment, I think I saw my hero: someone with blonde hair and blue eyes.

And with that, my eyes slowly closed, sending me off into unconsciousness.

* * *

_I didn't know where I was anymore. I had already lost track of the places I've been to already and this place was strange._

_It was deserted; it seemed as though no other living thing was within a 50 mile radius of this area. _

_Looking around, I was utterly confused as I began walking around my new surroundings, taking everything in. _

_It was strange but all too familiar at the same time. _

_I really couldn't put my finger on what was so familiar about this place, but as I allowed my feet to guide myself further down the road, I abruptly stopped in my own steps once I saw what was towering over me. _

_It was as if it was undisturbed and never destroyed in the fire. It looked brand new as it gleamed in the sunlight and it was almost too beautiful that it almost took my breath away. _

_The same house I grew in was now standing before me and as I chose to explore this new environment further, I was surprised to see the same pond and cherry blossom tree I had cherished in the backyard. _

_This was all too nostalgic to me and as I scanned the area once more, I was surprised to see my brother sitting upon the exact bench I always sat on when I wanted to clear my mind. _

_I slowly approached him, being hesitant at first, but speeding up once I saw him patting the seat next to him which meant he was signaling to me to come over. _

_As I approached him and now stood before him, I tilted my head slightly in confusion as I wondered why he chose to show up at this moment. _

_I watched him carefully as he now had his elbows propped up on his legs, as though they were acting as a support for his head. And at the moment, his eyes were closed tightly, as if in deep thought and as I softly coughed to get his attention, he was quick to turn his purple gaze towards me. _

"_Sit down, Hikari. There are a lot of things I need to talk to you about and I don't have that much time left." He had said as he propped himself up and sat up straight. _

"_Hai, Akio. What's going on? Where am I?"_

"_You're in a world that I created; I figured it would be best to have a world that's familiar to you, so I decided to make it as a replica as our old home. It's safe enough to talk to you here because no one will be listening in on us." _

"_What would be so important to talk about that you would need to make sure no one would listen in on it?" _

"_To start off, you're still in trouble, Hikari; you're not safe. At the moment, you've been captured by those two Akatsuki members." _

"_How could I have been captured? I saw him! I saw the person who saved me! Who else could've created that wooden defense? And Akatsuki? What is that?" _

_Sighing aloud, I watched Akio scratch his head; I suppose he was trying his best to explain this in the most simplest terms as possible. _

"_Hikari, no one was there to save you—" _

"_But then who created that wooden barrier?" _

"_I'm not sure. All I know is that you must have been lucky. I can't really explain how that happened." _

"_And what is this Akatsuki? I mean-"_

"_Hikari, if you let me just talk, I'll explain everything." _

_Slowly nodding my head and deciding to just sit down and listen, I signaled for him to continue. _

"_It's an S-class criminal organization made up of probably some of the strongest shinobi in the world. And as of right now, these two that are with you, Deidara and Sasori, are working for Ronin and are planning to hand you over to him as soon as possible. If that happens, you'll probably be interrogated again."_

_Just thinking about being tortured again was enough to make my heart beat a little faster and I didn't know if I could take it anymore. Not again at least. _

"_But Akio, I don't have any answers! It's not fair! I don't know anything about the Hero's Water." _

_With that statement, I was quick to look away from his gaze and decided to look at my own feet as they created circles within the dirt._

"_You're right; you don't know anything about it and it's sad to see that you're stuck in this type of situation. I only wish we could've switched places because I have that information." _

_My ears perked up at his statement and as I turned my attention back to him, I waited for him to go on further._

"_If anything happens, Hikari, just don't give up. Keep fighting and at any cost, don't let them ever take away that necklace I gave you. I gave it to you for a reason and you need to protect it because that's the key to the Hero's Water." _

"_What do you mean by that exactly?" _

"_I can't explain much at the moment, but if the water's power was ever to get into the wrong hands, the user can receive at least a ten-fold increase in their chakra. With that amount of power, you could only imagine the amount of destruction that could occur."_

"_I'm aware of that, Akio, I am. That's probably the only thing I know about it; other than that, I don't know much." _

_Sighing aloud, as if my brother needed to get something else off his chest, I wasn't surprised when he began talking again. _

"_Then I suppose you should hear it all from the beginning… You may not know it, Kari, but our family has always been responsible for protecting the Hero's Water since the very beginning. I guess it started long ago with our great great grandfather, Tsutano Hiroshi. He was a selfless man who was willing to do what was best for everyone. So it was him who volunteered himself and his own family to take on the responsibility to protect the Hero's Water from the wrong hands. And with that agreement established, he and his family traveled to the outskirts of the Land of Fire to start their own village known as Shimizu. _

_And for awhile, everything seemed fine; the village was prosperous and peaceful and everything seemed to be going in the right direction that is until someone betrayed him. His best friend, Harada Osamu became jealous and was a power-hungry man that took Hiroshi's loyalty for granted. He began spreading rumors about the Hero's Water about how much stronger it could make its user, without telling them about the consequences. With that, the village began being bombarded by several enemies and rogue nin that stole several cases of the Hero's Water and used it for their own selfish reasons. With that, Osamu began gathering everyone together and forming an army of people that had ingested the water; he was planning on taking over the village and eventually the world. He created so much destruction and even as our own people fought back, it wasn't enough; many of the people died and there were only a few left. _

_He was almost successful in his plans, but he himself didn't know the full consequences of using the Hero's Water. In the last battle, he fought against our great great grandfather, who also drank the Hero's Water. In the end, Osamu lost. And with that defeat, things started returning back to normal, but Hiroshi was in a weakened state as a result of the effects from drinking the water. And as a result, there was a power struggle. _

_Several of the rogue nin fought for power to control the village and the Hero's Water supply within it, but with the remaining people left in the village, they stood by Hiroshi's side and eventually, he came out on top and returned things back to normal. _

_On his death bed, he entrusted his son, Haru, with the responsibility to hide the last reminants of the Hero's Water and to protect its whereabouts. With that, his son took the Hero's Water and decided to move the village of Shimizu somewhere else in order to protect the people and to hide the Hero's Water. The village was moved to the outskirts of the Hidden Waterfall Village and that's how Kuroshio was created. With a village that could provide its own natural defenses and make sure that the Hero's Water would be hidden from the world, he was hopeful that people would forget about the water and move on." _

"_But that didn't happen did it? These people are after it." _

_Nodding his head at my statement, I finally understood the severity of the situation. _

"_They are. They want to use it for their own selfish reasons and that type of power was hidden and locked away for a reason, Hikari. With that kind of power, it shortens your life span depending on how much of a dose you take. But even with these side effects, these men are still determined to find it and I'm positive they will do anything to find it. You're the only one standing in their way, but you also have the power to stop them."_

"_How can I stop them, Akio? You know what they're capable of!" _

_Ruffling my white hair like old times, Akio took some time before responding back. _

"_As long as they don't have that necklace, everything will be fine. There isn't a person in this world that knows where the Hero's Water is besides myself. So keep you and the necklace safe." _

"_I understand…but why did you entrust this responsibility to me?" _

"_You still don't believe in yourself, Hikari? I thought if we got this far that you'd end up with some more confidence in your abilities. I entrusted this task to you because I know you're the only one who can do it. Like I said before, you're strong and you've got what it takes. You just have to do two things for me." _

"_What is it, Akio?" _

"_Escape, but make sure you wake up first; that's important after all." _

_And with that last statement, I began seeing everything slowly fade away. I watched my brother slowly disappear in front of my eyes and as I stood by watching the scene, the last thing I saw before he was totally gone was the same smirk and look of faith in his eyes he always held for me. _

_Sighing at my new predicament, I guess Akio just enjoyed giving me more things to worry about. So much for being a guardian angel when all he does is give me information and doesn't even bother to tell me how to go about this. _

_But I suppose if I was entrusted with this responsibility, there was no turning back. I had to live up to my family's name. So I really didn't have a choice. _

* * *

It wasn't long before I opened my eyes and woke up in a foreign room.

At first, my eyes had a hard time adjusting to the bright lighting within the room and the fact that my head was immensely throbbing wasn't helping much either.

It took me awhile longer to get the pain to stop.

For the longest time, all I could do was clutch onto my head, hoping and praying that the throbbing would stop.

It wasn't until the most massive wave of pain passed that I was able to pull myself together.

I tried my best to sit myself up, but even that was painful. I had almost completely forgotten that I had gotten injured and it was in that moment that I almost cried from the amount of pain I was feeling from moving too much at once.

Opening my eyes once more, it was at that moment when my eyes adjusted to the lighting and I finally realized that the top of my head was wrapped in gauze.

I didn't even pay that much attention to my surroundings at the moment because I was too wrapped up in remembering what had happened and how I had come to receive medical assistance.

Within an instant, everything came back to me at full force.

And let me say that that didn't stop the oncoming headache that now occurred.

I could remember everything to the point where I had passed out from exhaustion and blood loss. Everything seemed so clear now that I had the time to think through my thoughts and at the moment I was still trying to process how I was now bandaged up.

If I was captured like Akio had told me, then the only thing that was realistic and made sense was that one of them gave me the medical assistance I needed to keep me alive.

I suppose that made sense; after all, they did want to keep me alive for Ronin and earlier on, Sasori was complaining about how the blonde almost killed me with his bombs.

I guess for now I was an asset to them that they needed to keep safe for Ronin.

This whole thinking thing about what happened was starting to hurt my head again and I just decided to stop pondering over my situation too much right then and there. I needed to rest and relax while I still had time to enjoy the last few moments of my life.

But unfortunately for me, my head was still hurting, but I was trying my best to ignore the pain. I suppose I not only hurt my ribs in that incident with Sasori and Deidara, but I also managed to receive quite the injury to my head.

Who knew how much brain damage and body damage I had sustained from this whole situation. I wasn't too sure of it myself, but if I was functioning normally as of right now, I had to be in the right state of mind.

Although I was still thinking about how I even received that head injury. Who knows how I had received that. I wasn't going to think about that too much right now since one more injury to add to my list wasn't going to cause too much harm to my already great well-being.

Who was I kidding? I was probably in the worst shape in my life with gauze wrapped around my head and bandages wrapped around my torso, as if they would help the pain coming from just breathing in and out.

To add on my list even further, my clothes were in terrible shape as well.

My kimono was definitely beyond repair as it was covered in dirt and a lot of my own blood. I could clearly see the several red stains of my own blood on the fabric and it wasn't a pretty sight.

It was quite gruesome to think that I lost that much blood to the point where the kimono wasn't even white anymore; it was now completely crimson red. That thought made me cringe a little, but at least that whole incident was over now.

Along with that, I wasn't appealing in the smelling department either. In fact, I'll just be blunt about it and say I reeked. I'm surprised those two criminals didn't faint or vomit from how awful I smelled.

I almost threw up myself when I smelled myself. I suppose the mixture of vomit, blood, dirt, and sweat was not a good combination at all. Especially for someone who hasn't bathed for a couple days.

I didn't even realize how dirty I was up until this point. I suppose the idea of survival and fear was more important than thinking about a bath. But now, I felt terribly awful; not only from my own stench and dirtiness, but also from the fact that I was now being held captive.

I didn't do all that running and fighting back to be captured and returned back to the very man I escaped from. I couldn't afford to go back there. In fact, that very thought caused fear to encase my body as I shivered from thinking about being tortured again.

I felt myself quickly jumping into panic mode and as I began to hyperventilate from the mere thought of being dragged back to that horrid man, I couldn't help myself anymore.

Everything just seemed to hit me head on and the current situation I was now in didn't help me feel any better either.

It just seemed too much for me to handle or even comprehend at the moment. I didn't know what to do anymore.

And as I clutched my head, trying to make myself stop panicking, the pain from my wounds was the only thing that managed to bring me back to reality.

And soon enough, I managed to break from my panic attack and slowly calm down.

I couldn't say that I felt any better since I now had to deal with the pain that I inflicted upon my body through my hyperventilating, but at least I was in a much better state of mind than I was before.

I never knew that this whole situation would take this much of a toll on me, but I realized that I needed to stop these bad thoughts. I had to keep thinking positively because I could not afford to let my negative thoughts cloud my judgment.

Breathing in and out slowly, I was able to bring myself to a calming peace of mind. My heart beat was now back to normal and I was now able to think more clearly.

For starters, I needed to find a way to escape once more. But how would I be able to do it?

From what I know, there are only two other people in this building who are my enemies. They are both in Akatsuki meaning that they are some strong shinobi; one uses bombs and the other has a large metal tail that could pierce me. Both techniques are used for long-ranged battles meaning that trying to attack or defeat them head on would be pointless unless I'm able to catch them by surprise. But I doubt that would be possible; they wouldn't be stupid enough to let their guard down around me again. So attacking them head on would be stupid. I'll cross that off.

My only best shot at getting out of here would be to escape without getting caught or meeting up with any of those two. Because if I had to face them one on one, I would surely lose.

To add onto my list even further, I didn't even really know my environment or the whole layout to this building. So that would be another disadvantage. Even further, I didn't even know what village I was in so even if I did manage to escape, I wouldn't know where to hide or where to go. But I'd have to worry about that later on. Worst come to worse, I would just have to play that part by ear.

At least I knew I was alive for now and now that I had stopped myself from jumping into panic mode again by thinking things through, I suppose it was now time to check my new environment.

Turning my attention to the room, my eyes scanned the area and I quickly realized that the room was just an ordinary room at most.

Nothing really special about it.

The walls were a mixture of a calming crème and tan color with some detailed molding lining the walls. There were only two paintings on the wall; one of an ocean view on the wall to my left and the other of a colorful sunset on the wall to the right.

Other than that, there wasn't that much decoration in this room.

It seemed to have the essentials. A bed, which I was now laying on, a nice wooden dresser across from where I sat, a small circular window with red satin curtains, and a sitting area with a small wooden table and two wooden chairs with coffee colored cushions.

This room wouldn't be the ideal color scheme I would choose for a room. I'd prefer something more bright with more personality, but who was I to complain about this? I had much bigger things to worry about.

If I was going to start this plan of escape, I should probably start now. The faster I get out of here, the faster I can run away and distance myself. Maybe if luck was on my side, they'd both be asleep or on break; then I'd be able to escape with no problem. But I highly doubted that that would happen.

Well here I go.

I had a bit trouble getting myself to sit up, but taking it slowly made it a lot easier on my injuries than before. I didn't mean that it didn't hurt anymore; heck, it hurt still, but not as immensely before when I hastily tried to sit up. I had to bite my bottom lip though to not let out a whimper or any noise that may give me away and signal that I was now awake.

It took me awhile to get into a sitting position at the pace I was going at. I was almost out of breath by the time I was in a sitting position. And in my mind, I was just thinking how much more pain I'd have to go through when I'd have to run for my life.

I suppose life was really being unfair at the moment, but I'd have to make myself fight through the pain to get through this. Akio didn't say that this would be easy.

Oh why did life have to keep testing me? I thought I was done with tests once I was done with school. I never thought I'd have to keep pushing myself this hard in my life.

But I guess that's life for you. There's always new obstacles waiting for you ahead.

And boy did I sometimes wish life wasn't like that, especially at this moment.

Once mentally preparing myself for the pain that was going to come from just me getting up onto my own two feet, I was ready to move again.

Closing my eyes and praying that it wouldn't hurt too badly, I made myself lift my body up and at that moment, I didn't know whether I should have cried from the amount of pain I was feeling or just try to ignore it and keep going.

The amount of pain I was feeling was indescribable; it felt as though a large boulder was putting all its weight on me and I could barely take it. The suffering my ribs were putting up with to hold my upper body up was completely ridiculous.

But I needed to push through this because as Akio's voice broke through my thoughts, he reminded me that I had to keep pushing myself no matter what. Even in the darkest of times, I needed to believe in myself and push past those limits I've set for myself.

So with that, I took small baby steps towards the door.

With each step, the only motivation that kept my mind off the pain was the idea that each step was leading me closer to freedom and away from here.

And before I knew it, I arrived before the door.

Taking a short break to catch my breath, I soon returned to my task at hand and slowly reached for the door knob and attempted at turning it.

Surprisingly, it wasn't locked and at that moment, it gave me a sense of hope that at least I could get out of this room without any trouble.

Slowly opening the door, I was thankful that it did not make a creaking noise and I quickly let out a breath that I wasn't aware I was holding in.

Taking a peek from left to right, I noticed that the room I was currently in was one of many rooms in this building. It seemed as if there were other rooms that were all connected together. And not only that, but from the far right corner of my eye, there was a staircase leading downstairs.

So from the information that I gathered, there could possibly be more than just those two men here and that I was not on the ground floor. In turn, both assumptions would make my escape harder.

Looking around again, I didn't hear anyone nor did I see anyone walking around the hallway.

Which meant that that was my signal to start moving.

I wasn't sure how fast I could go without hurting myself, but I decided to test it out.

Starting out a bit faster than I could handle, I quickly slowed down to a slow limped walk as I tried to make my way to the staircase.

I was using the wall to help me move faster and the staircase was now only a few more feet away. With that, I tried my best to concentrate on my goal at hand rather than the amount of pain I was feeling, and I'd have to say that I was pretty successful.

Now that I was only about five small steps away from the actual stairs, I needed to take a small semi-second break before I could start up again.

Breathing in and out as slowly as possible without hurting my ribs too much, I was sure that I spent more than just a semi-second on my break. But at least I was almost there.

Deciding to start up again, I was careful to move my foot forward slowly.

'Four more steps to go.'

Bringing my right foot forward, I was even closer to my goal.

'Three.'

'Two.'

With each step I got closer and closer and as my anticipation built up, I was just one step away from the staircase before I completely messed up on my balance and footing.

Feeling my body fall, I knew that the moment I would hit the floor, it would hurt like hell.

I had fallen onto my side and as the force of the fall caused so much discomfort and pain to my ribs along with my entire body, I couldn't help but cry out and curse aloud.

Clutching onto my side, I tried my best to breathe in and out slowly as I tried to get rid of the pain.

At the moment, I was still making a lot of noise, but I quickly realized that that was my biggest mistake.

I only wished I could've kept my mouth shut and as I quickly covered my own mouth, hoping and praying that no one heard me as I was clutching onto my necklace, I let out a sigh of relief as I realized that no one was coming out to check on the amount of noise I had made.

With that, I guess luck was on my side today. I couldn't believe that no one heard me.

Thanking Kami for everything, it wasn't long until I managed to sit myself up and sit criss-crossed on the ground as I was leaning on the wall for support.

Closing my eyes and letting out another sigh as I made sure that my heart beat was back to normal, it took me a few more moments to get myself back together and make sure that I didn't add more injuries onto my list.

Opening my eyes once more, I realized that something else was blocking my view of the other wall.

My green orbs carefully scanned what was lying before me and as they began to outline the formation of a cloak, I knew I was in trouble now. I quickly caught on to the black color and red clouds on the fabric and the recognizable pattern clicked in my head.

'Akatsuki...Oh…shit!'

I wasn't sure if I wanted to look up and see who it was. At the moment, I was trying my best to ignore the person in front of me by turning my gaze towards the ground, which I deemed interesting at the moment. But I knew that wasn't working since I could feel his or her gaze on me.

At that moment, I knew I had to do something because I certainly wasn't going to sit there and let him or her capture me again.

So with that, I didn't know how I managed to get myself back up onto my two feet and start running down the stairs without causing any pain to myself. Or rather, pain that I refused to feel at the moment.

I refused to look back as I was running down the stairs. I felt as if I was floating through the air as I moved faster than I ever had in my life. It felt like nothing could stop me at the moment and I intended to keep it that way.

And just when I was about to reach the bottom, I checked to see if my captor was following me from behind.

And apparently, he or she was not.

I was beyond confused and as I raised my eyebrow in question, wondering where he or she went, I didn't realize that I collided into something hard until my body crashed into it.

With that crash, I managed to fall directly into the arms of my enemy, and as I looked back at the bright blue eye of my blonde captor, I tried my best to push myself away from him.

He was holding onto my wrists tightly and I could see from his facial expression that he was slightly annoyed with me struggling against his grip along with trying to run away. His one visible blue eye reflected his annoyance and as his slight frown signaled that he wasn't happy with what I had attempted doing, I knew that I probably dug an even deeper hole for myself.

But if I was already in trouble from the start, I suppose I didn't have anything else to lose.

So with that, I didn't know how I did, but it was some sort of miracle, as I managed to push myself away from him. I suppose my "miracle" could be credited with my many kicks and poorly thrown punches.

I was at least grateful that I was able to get out of his grasp and just as I was about to move away from him, I managed to slip on my dirty kimono.

In turn, I felt myself lose my footing and my balance once more.

It was as if everything was happening in slow motion and I knew that this time around, when I'd hit the ground, things would turn out much worse for me.

Before I knew it, I had hit the ground much harder and this time, I was right as the pain was unbearable.

I could feel the pain surging through my body and as I reached up to touch the gauze on my head, I realized that I was heavily bleeding as my hand returned and presented the sticky red liquid on my fingers.

I could feel the blood slowly falling out from my head wound along with the reopening of my other wounds.

I did whatever ordinary person would do, I screamed.

Loud.

So loud that I probably woke up anyone who was in the building.

There was so much pain; so much that I couldn't help but let a few tears fall as I tried my best to pray that the pain would stop.

I could feel myself losing so much blood that I didn't even know if I would live to see another day.

I was slipping in and out of reality.

Everything began to seem hazy to me and fatigue was finally hitting me.

My eyes slowly began to close and I found that I could no longer fight back.

I couldn't fight back as I felt my captive approach me and slowly lift my body up.

And I could no longer fight back as I felt myself being lifted up and carried back to the very prison I was trying to escape from.

And then, I was completely gone.

* * *

In the end, you only really have one choice.

And that doesn't mean that that choice is easier.

Things don't get easier as you get older.

You start to realize that you need to start doing things on your own and become independent. And sometimes, you end up missing those times as a child where you had no worries in the world.

But then, you get those moments where you get those brilliant ideas and wonder why you didn't think about that before.

I think I received one of those moments.

I realized that it's not about winning or losing that matters. But what matters is that you should never accept defeat. You should try and never give up. Keep persevering no matter what.

Because it will pay off in the end.

The problem was that, when would it pay off for me?

Because sometimes in those dark moments, even when you give it your all, you're never completely positive about the outcome you're going to get.

But those doubts shouldn't cause you to stop fighting. In fact, those doubts should become your motivation to keep fighting back harder.

* * *

**I hope this chapter lived up to your standards. I tried my best to work with a filler chapter and just explain what would be going through her mind in her current situation. So I hope you guys liked it.**

**Hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas and a happy start to the new year! **

**Well I hope to hear from you guys! So please please review!**

**Arigato!**

**-katara**


	15. Chapter 14: Damsel In Distress

**Sorry everyone for the late update! I've just been so busy with school that it's ridiculous. But here's another chapter. Not my longest, but it sure does have some action in it. Hope you guys like it and please review!**

**Thanks!**

******I'd like to take this time to thank all my readers for staying with me up to this point since I know it can be frustrating since I don't update this story that often. I am trying my best though for you guys so I definitely do appreciate you guys reading and providing feedback. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Damsel In Distress**

Sometimes it's hard to live in a place where everyone is out to get you.

You start feeling paranoid and you end up not knowing how to shake off that feeling and live life normally.

Before you know it, you let that paranoia eat you up alive until you yourself go crazy and believe that everything out there is out to get you.

And in that very moment, you're at your most vulnerable and weakest state of mind.

You become so lost that you can't even distinguish what's real and what's not real.

Everything becomes so hazy and confusing that all you can do is try to tell yourself that you'll be safe.

That you have to keep reassuring yourself that nothing will harm you.

Because in reality, you're afraid of something.

You're so scared that you let that fear engulf your very being to the point where it controls your daily life.

And then you're not the same person you were before.

You become different; so much more different that you don't even recognize whom the person staring at you in the mirror is.

Fear; it's a powerful emotion that causes even the most bravest of heroes to succumb and drop down and surrender to it.

Our fears are what control us. And in the end, it's up to us whether to let our fears take over our lives or to face them head on.

To have the courage to look them in the eye and tell them that enough is enough. That they can't control your life anymore and that you won't let them.

It's only then that you are able to take control of your life and come to the realization that fears are only obstacles that our minds make up to limit ourselves.

And as long as you're willing to strive and to face your fears head on, then life just becomes your own playground.

But that didn't mean that it would be easy.

Because there wouldn't be anyone there to save you like in those fairytales you read as a child.

It's up to you to save yourself. Because let's face it, there's not going to be a knight in shining armor on a white horse coming your way to save you; that only happens in fairytales and life is anything but a fairytale.

Looking back now, I realize that those stories that we believed in as young children made us naïve. They made us too hopeful that good things happen to good people and in turn, made us dependent on someone else to solve our problems.

Unfortunately, that's not how life works. Life is more complicated and harsher than how fairytales present it.

I learned quickly enough that you have to be independent and do things on your own. It's always nice to have someone who will have your back, but in the end, you can't always depend on them to help you.

So it's up to you to hold your head up high and face whatever you're supposed to face head on.

* * *

I could barely recall what had happened before I blacked out.

Everything was all just a blur to me. Even the entire room felt like it was spinning on its own accord and I almost felt like I was going to vomit.

I didn't know what had gotten into me.

As I kid, I enjoyed spinning around so much and getting so dizzy that it no longer affected me. But at the moment, I just wanted everything to stop moving.

I desperately clutched onto my head and closed my eyes, hoping that the dizziness would subside soon.

It took a much longer time now to get myself back to normal. Or back to something that was still far from normal but still a step closer to being able to function.

I suppose that last fall really messed me up badly seeing that my recovery time was now even more delayed. To add even further, I could already feel my new injuries that I inflicted upon myself from my fall as well.

Just when I thought things were getting better, I now was even surer that things would only go down from here.

I mean I wasn't too hopeful that someone would come to rescue me, but I was hoping that I would have managed to escape from here. But I guess not.

That option was now off my list seeing that the amount of injuries I was accumulating would inhibit me from running away and probably lead to my own downfall as well.

Sighing in defeat, I guess for now I'd have to just stay put and do nothing.

I guess I'd have to throw in the towel for now and just hope nothing worse could happen to me.

I wasn't happy about that, but there was nothing more I could do.

Turning my attention to the room, I concluded that I was in the same room as I was before and that my old and new injuries were already taken care of.

I was surprised that someone actually took the time to make sure that I was okay, but then again, I was quickly reminded about the fact that they had to keep me alive to be handed over to Ronin.

My head had some new gauze wrapped around it and my torso also had new bandages and splints to lessen the pain from my ribs and to keep them straight and aligned as they were healing.

Scrapes that were apparent on my arms and legs were also bandaged up now.

I didn't know how I managed to injure myself that badly but the amount of bandages on and around my body was pretty ridiculous.

I felt somewhat like a mummy with the amount of wrapping that was around me, but I wasn't going to complain at the moment. As long as my injuries were going to heal, then I'd be perfectly fine with it. I definitely needed to thank whoever took care of my injuries later.

Just lying in bed and counting the seconds that were ticking by, I didn't even know what to do with myself.

At the moment, all I was doing was looking up at the ceiling as I tried to find something interesting to hold my attention long enough until the day would be over. But that didn't even work.

Sighing and blowing some strands of my hair out of my face, I needed to find something else to do because I certainly did not want to just sit around and think about what would happen to me in the future.

Slowly pushing myself up from my current position on the bed, I found that it was much harder and that it took a lot more time and a lot more out of me to get into a complete sitting position.

By the time I was upright, I was already breathing heavily and I could already feel some of the exhaustion already taking a toll on me.

I had to clutch onto my torso to make sure that everything was still in place and that I hadn't ruined any of my bandages or caused any more bleeding.

Taking a few longer moments to recover from the heavy lifting of my body, I hesitantly placed my left foot on the ground and then slowly pushed my other leg over the edge of the bed.

Going at a snail's pace as I placed my second foot on the ground, I now knew that I had good enough footing to start moving.

Moving my feet one at a time, it took a lot more out of me than before to keep pushing myself to move.

I could feel the minutes tick on by in my head as it felt like as if it was an eternity before I was before the door once more.

Testing out the doorknob to see if it was opened or closed, I found that it still turned easily, which meant that it was still open.

I had no idea why the blondie would leave the door open, especially after what I attempted to do, but I suppose with the state I was currently in, he really had nothing to worry about.

Because I certainly wasn't going to be going anywhere any time soon.

Turning the knob as fast as I possibly could (especially in my current predicament), I managed to slowly open the door without causing too much noise.

Sure a creaking noise echoed throughout the hallway, but other than that, it was pretty much silent except for a couple voices I heard next door.

I couldn't help but be drawn to those voices and as I recognized them to be of my two captors, that only further caught my interest.

Akio always said that information was vital, but only correct information of course. So if they were speaking about anything important, then it couldn't hurt to listen in on them.

I didn't know how, but somehow I managed to make my way to the door. And hesitantly, I put my ear against the wooden door, hoping that I could catch something important.

I stood with my ear against the door for awhile. I wasn't even sure how long I was standing there for, but I could feel my legs becoming weak and wobbly. I wasn't sure how long I could hold up for.

To add to that, I couldn't really hear that well.

I only managed to catch small snippets of their conversations such as 'leader' and 'Ronin' and 'girl.'

I guess those words didn't really help me at all.

Sighing in defeat once more, I guess all of that eavesdropping wasn't helpful at all. But at least I managed to find something to do instead of just laying on a bed.

I was so busy being caught up in my own thoughts that I hadn't realized that their talking ceased.

Their conversation seemed to be over, but my ear was still against the door. And just as I was about to move away from the door, I hadn't realized it was about to open until I registered that the doorknob was being turned.

But my mind and feet didn't register it quick enough seeing that as soon as the door opened, I stood there stupidly as I let the wooden door hit me in the face head on.

I could feel another injury coming up and as I fell to the ground, I could now see the face of the blonde as he looked at me in shock, which quickly changed into annoyance as he rolled his one visible eye at me.

I didn't know how many more injuries I could take, but this one definitely took a toll on me, as I didn't even realize I blacked out until I was actually unconscious.

* * *

I could feel myself come back to reality as I slowly opened my eyes and regained consciousness.

I had almost forgotten what had happened just a few moments ago, but as I continued to blink several times, the pain that came from my most recent injury only caused me to recall my incident with the door.

Letting out a huge sigh as I was now lying on the bed, I concluded that this whole becoming unconscious thing was becoming rather tiring and more routine than I liked it to be.

Going to wipe away a white strand that was now in my face, I realized that my hand, or rather my arm, was tied down.

Looking up in confusion, I didn't know how to react and as I turned my head a few centimeters, as if not to further injure myself, I saw that I was now restrained to the bedpost.

It seemed like I just had another problem to add onto my list and as I tried my best to pull against the binds, nothing was really happening. It seemed like whoever tied this was pretty good at their knots and as I continued to try and give it my all, my restrains just wouldn't budge.

Taking a break before trying once more, my attempt was quickly stopped, as a voice broke through the once silent room.

"It's not going to work, un."

That voice; I recognized it at that instant and quickly stopped my actions as I stared back at the man who had caught me the time I tried to escape. He was standing in a stance that showed he was arrogant and even in the way he was crossing his arms and trying to lecture me that escape was futile showed his cockiness. This man was overconfident and just looking into his blue orbs showed that.

Now glaring at him directly, I somehow didn't want to back down to him. Something about him just made me want to defy him even more.

"I managed to get out once, I'm not going to give up now…" I had said as I was now sitting up on the bed.

"You just never know when to quit, un…." the blond said as he rolled his one visible eye and slowly approached my bed. He was now only a few feet away from me.

Looking at me with annoyance, he replied with, "You're not getting out again. You know how much work I had to go through just to make sure you don't escape, un? I'd be damned by leader if we don't get our payment, un!"

So that was it. His group was only doing this to get paid by Ronin. They had no interest in me except for my association with the Hero's water. Heck, even now he didn't even seem interested in the Hero's Water.

"Well, you can't blame a girl for trying…. being cooped up in a room all day isn't what I'd consider fun."

I could see a vein already beginning to form and realized that he has quite the short temper. As I watched the blondie pinch the bridge of his nose to calm himself down, he opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly interrupted by another voice.

"Deidara, enough… we don't have time for this. We need to discuss what our next move will be."

Turning my view away from the blonde, I noticed that there was now another man in the room. He looked quite young and had short red hair and he looked nothing like Deidara's partner from before. Perhaps that other man was called back for another mission?

Deidara's attention was quickly turned away from me as he now had his back to me and was addressing the new man who had just entered the room.

"Fine, Sasori no danna. What do we need to discuss, un?"

My eyes widened in shock as I did a double take of the man I saw right before me and the man who had attacked me with his metal tail.

'_Sasori? Then this man is the same man who was with him before? But how is that possible.'_

Reevaluating my assumptions before, I noticed something else was now in the room as well. From the corner of my eye, I saw that there was some sort of figure hanging on one of the walls. It seemed to be some sort of wooden figurine.

Just staring at it for a few more seconds, it finally clicked in my head. _'He must be a puppeteer.'_

Akio used to tell me about a lot of different shinobi he would encounter on his missions and he did mention that shinobi from different lands specialized in using different weapons; from katanas, fans, sounds, and even puppets could act as lethal weapons.

That made enough sense enough. So this Sasori guy was a puppeteer and this blonde partner was someone who enjoyed making explosives out of clay.

This couldn't possibly get any weirder.

Turning my attention back to my two captors, I noticed that they were now sitting calmly at a table before my bedside, just talking idly away as if I wasn't even present in the room.

And I couldn't help but overhear their conversation since my only other choice was sleep.

"Leader wants this payment as soon as possible. I've already sent a bird to Ronin to tell him to meet up with us in 3 days. Our only mission is to transport the girl there."

"Sounds simple enough, un."

"Make sure you don't mess this up, Deidara. Unlike last time, I intend for this exchange to go smoothly."

"You say this as if it was my fault the last time she tried to escape, un!" the blonde had blurted out as he got up from his seat faced his partner.

The red-headed shinobi stayed calm through Deidara's outburst and as his glare was directed at his partner, I could see that he too could have a short temper as he retorted back with, "The last person who was responsible for her was you. And she tried to escape twice, Deidara. You're lucky she didn't manage to make it out the door or else you would've had to answer to me, you brat."

He didn't even need to yell; even I could feel how his patience was thinning with his partner with the tone of his voice. He sounded so stern as if he was a parent scolding a child and as I watched the blonde take his words in, I could see that his temper was riling up as well.

I'm sure that if one more wrong statement were made, the bomb terrorist would surely blow up this whole entire room.

The tension was so thick in here that I was even scared to make a sound, let alone even breathe. My gaze was switching back and forth between the two, waiting to see what the blonde would say.

But he remained silent; taking in what his superior had told him as he tightly held onto the table, as if he was going to flip it over in his own blinding rage.

He slowly backed away from the table and I thought he was going to walk away from the room to calm down; however, I was wrong.

The blonde was making his way towards where I was sitting and as something finally clicked in my head, I realized he was coming after me.

I was like a deer in headlights, caught in the middle and it seemed like I was going to pay for his own anger.

At that moment, I was trying my best to get out of my restraints and just as he was only now a few feet away from me, I turned my attention to Sasori, hoping he could help me in some way. But all I could see was him turned away from the scene, ignoring whatever was happening before him.

I was now in panic mode as Deidara was now in front of me. I stopped breathing at that moment and as I looked up at his towering form, I was frozen.

His gaze didn't ever meet mine, but I was still scared that I was sure it was showing on my face.

I didn't want to know what he would do to me and as I closed my eyes, hoping that the worst would be over, I heard glass shatter as it hit a wall.

Opening one eye to see if it was safe, I noticed that the bedside lamp suffered the brunt of Deidara's punch. It was now in a thousand pieces, lying shattered near my bedside.

I didn't know how I should've reacted at that moment. I was still stunned from his action and how he dealt with his anger. The blood that was now dripping from his knuckles didn't seem to bother him at all and as I continued to watch the red liquid slowly fall onto the floor, I realized that he definitely was not the most rational person when angry. And I made a note to myself to not anger him to the point where he'd completely snap.

He was still standing before the broken glass and breathing heavily. His long blonde hair covered the other half of his face, but from even where I was sitting, I could still see that the anger was still evident in his visible eye.

I watched him carefully and for a moment, I forgot that I was being restrained. That is until his gaze turned towards me and I was scared for my own life.

Seeing both his eyes, I saw how much anger was left. It seemed as if he doesn't like being blamed for things that go wrong and as I had nowhere to go, I clearly didn't know what to do. It seemed like I was going to end up being his scape goat. And all I could do was slowly inch my way away from him and make my way to the other side of the bed. So that's precisely what I did.

Just as his attention was about to be fully brought onto me, the puppeteer saved me.

Getting up from his spot, he was quick to address the blonde:

"Deidara, stop being so reckless and control your temper. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning, so be ready by then…"

If I could ever thank Sasori, it would be right now, because I think he saved my life by bringing the blonde back to reality.

"H-hai, danna." he replied as he restrained himself from doing anything rash. He still had his back facing the red head and as Sasori quickly left after that, I let out a sigh of relief, as I now knew that things would lighten up.

I could swear that my heart was beating erratically, but after Sasori left the room, it seemed as though things would get back to normal.

Sitting up and leaning my back against the backboard of the bed, I slowly closed my eyes, just trying to think over what had happened just a few moments ago. I was able to breathe a little as I felt things returning back to normal.

But then as quickly as I thought this whole entire incident would vanish, I had a bad feeling in my gut that something was about to happen. And it didn't help that I felt someone else's gaze on me.

For the moment, I could feel Deidara's gaze still on me and as I tried my best to ignore it, it simply wouldn't go away. I could still feel some sort of anger radiating from him and as I opened one eye to see what he was up to, I wasn't fast enough to react to what he did next.

Before I could even blink, he was right in front of me choking me to death as he slammed me against the backboard. More pain only engulfed me and I felt my vision slowly give way as dark spots began to appear in my line of sight.

I could hardly breathe and as I tried my best to claw my way out of this, I was losing more and more air as he continued to tighten his grip.

I felt his breath near my ear and as I tried my best to still get out of his grip, it was futile. He was close enough to whisper in my ear and as I stopped my attempts to leave, he was quick to deliver a threat that I wouldn't forget: "Don't you even think about escaping, un. If you do, Ronin's wrath won't be the only thing you should be worried about, un."

I knew that he meant what he said and I knew that he was capable of more than what Ronin had done to me before. After all, I was a witness to what he could do with his explosions. And that was why the blonde probably scared me the most.

I could feel myself slowly slip away and as I started to see even more black spots in my line of vision, I knew that the end was near for me.

If anyone was going to save me, I just hoped that they'd come in time because right now, it would be now or never.

I tried again to try to make him let go by clawing at him, but most of my strength was already gone due to my lack of oxygen. It would only be a few more moments before I'd become unconscious and probably die.

I could feel myself slowly give way, but before all hope was lost, I saw a blur cross my line of sight. I wasn't sure what it was, but within seconds the blonde was pushed away from me and shoved roughly against the opposing wall.

Whoever was my savior, I was just thankful that person came in just in time.

It was as if I came back to life and I was soon able to get enough air in my system.

I could already feel bruises forming on my neck as a result of Deidara's death grip and I was just thankful that he was nowhere near me now.

The feeling of oxygen quickly rushing to my lungs caused me to have a coughing attack, but once recovering from almost being choked to death, I turned my attention to my savior.

I saw that Sasori was now in the doorway with strings of chakra attached to his fingers. And at that moment, I knew that he had used one of his puppets to push the blondie away from me. And at that moment, I never knew how grateful I was to see him.

If there was one person I'd want to look after me, it would have to be Sasori. I needed to make a note to myself that he's definitely better than the bomb terrorist who tried to kill me out of anger.

I watched silently as the puppeteer approached his partner who was still lying down on the ground after getting pushed into the wall.

There was more than shattered glass on the floor and as Sasori made his way to stand in front of the blonde, I could tell that the red head was beyond mad as well.

The silence was nearly killing me as I watched them both. Deidara was quick to get back onto his feet and as he brushed the attack off as if it was nothing, I didn't miss that hardened glare he had towards Sasori as he was now up on both his feet.

I watched from afar as the red head sternly went into lecture mode:

"Didn't I just tell you not to be reckless, you brat? She already has enough injuries and you don't need to add any more!"

I think that was the first time I ever heard Sasori yell and I was scared myself. Another note to myself, the person who I should watch out and never anger would have to be Sasori.

"If you can't handle watching her, Deidara, then I'll gladly switch roles."

I didn't know if Sasori's words reached the blonde's ears as he just stood there looking more annoyed as usual.

"I'm serious, Deidara. Don't injure her anymore. We can't afford that unless you want to be the one to answer to leader and tell him why we didn't get paid for this job."

That statement seemed to grab the blonde's attention as he seemed to be more alert. I suppose their leader was someone that the blonde didn't even want to deal with.

"Fine, un."

"I mean it, Deidara. One more chance. Don't mess it up."

Sasori highly emphasized the 'one more chance' part of his statement and I could tell that he definitely meant it. It seemed like he was always the serious and professional type of person, unlike his blonde counterpart who was impulsive and somewhat childish. I just hoped that I'd see more of the red head because frankly, I felt more secure with him than with the blonde.

And with that serious note, Sasori left the room again, leaving me with the blonde alone, once again.

I still felt a bit uneasy around him, especially after what just happened, and as I watched him from the corner of my eye, I couldn't help but jump a bit as his gaze turned towards me.

This time it just showed a hint of annoyance. I could see that he probably didn't enjoy being scolded again by Sasori.

I was the first one to break the eye contact and I suppose it was just left at that since he was quick to leave the room without as much as saying an apology for what he had done. I wasn't expecting one, especially one from him, but I guess I'm always the type of person who gave people too much credit and expected too much from them. It just would've been nice to have received one considering that he almost killed me.

And that was all that was left. Me, a room with shattered glass and splattered blood on the floor, along with a silent compromise that I just made with a criminal to not run away.

* * *

And so when the time comes where we do face our fears, you can't depend on anyone else to help you. Because in the end, you're all alone when you go up against the thing that you fear the most.

It's not the people that have had your back your entire life that are going to be there to help you. Nobody will be there to help you. So in the end, it's just you.

But you have to remember that those people are still with you. They're still there cheering you on until the end no matter what.

You can't forget that.

Because they're the reason why you're still fighting; why you're still up on your feet no matter if the odds aren't in your favor.

* * *

**Thanks for tuning in and reading the new chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it and although I'd love to say that I'd be updating soon, don't expect an update anytime soon. School's taking up my life again and I'm sure I'm going to be busier than ever now. But I'm still working on new chapters piece by piece when I find the time, so don't give up hope yet!**

**Until next time!**

**~katara**


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